Grey Shades of Love
by sonoci
Summary: Entering the white from the black, Haibara Ai has only found grey. She always thought it was grey sorrow, but maybe it's something more.  Challenge Fic
1. Denial

_**A/N:**_ Alright. Here, I'm starting a ConAi fic as a challenge. On a forum, someone mentioned disliking ConAi fics because they always ended up "shallow" or seeming "forced together" so I wanted to see if I could write something that would be different than that (at the very least in his/her eyes - this is for you, anonymous! \o/). I wonder if I'll succeed? Here's hoping so!

Before starting though, **Pandakitty** if you see this, the other fic is in the works. Weirdly enough, I do my best brainstorming for ideas for it off the computer. Until I've got everything planned and perfect, I'm not going to post it. It'll be worth it though, I assure you. I'm planning so much…because I'm going to try something _riskier_ than I usually go for. Y'know, for fun :B

Anyway! Here goes nothing~

* * *

><p><em><span>Grey Shades of Love<span>_

Prologue: Denial

"If I'm told it's white, I'd say it's black" ~_Vanilla Salt_ Yui Horie (Eng. Translation)

* * *

><p>"Ai-kun!" If not for the open door, Ai wouldn't have heard Agasa's shout in the basement room. Responding with a yell of her own, she sighed when he continued with his message, "I'm going to clean the bathroom now! I've…already done the kitchen, so you can do the living room instead!"<p>

Knowing the old inventor too well, Ai made a mental note to interrogate him on the likely now-missing curry leftovers that had been in the fridge once she finished tidying her room. It was surprisingly dusty considering the long periods she was often down there. However, once she thought about it, she realized that she hadn't been spending as much time typing away theories and formulas on APTX lately. In place of that she'd been socializing with the Detective Boys and going on countless adventures.

Strange, that's what it was. The more she thought about the escapades, the more she had to hide a smile. To think, only months before she'd been a criminal in an organization, designing a drug that would eventually change her life. …Hers, and someone else's.

Halting her reminiscence in the middle of folding her blankets, Ai resumed her pattern after a shake of her head. She should be cleaning, not losing herself in thought. Almost as if to argue that point, something moved to the side. Next blanket in hand, Ai felt it fold on her feet as she lost grip of it and her eyes widened. Wedged between the frame holding the mattress and the wall was a worn book. Recognizing all too well what it was, Ai threw the blanket at her feet to conceal it while she closed and locked the door. She didn't want Agasa to walk in on her, not while _it_ was in view.

In a way, it was ironic: he was the one who had suggested she should try it, yet he had no clue about her use of the diary. If Ai could help it, he never would and neither would anyone else. Truth be told, she wasn't sure why she'd started in the first place, especially taking the _time_ into consideration. It was quite the liability: if one of Them found it, everything would spiral downwards. She knew that…yet she'd dug it out of the trash very shortly after moving in to the house, a time in which she was far more paranoid (and she was the one who had '_thrown it away_'). For this reason, her curiosity overflowed and she opened the cover.

* * *

><p><em>Grey Shades of Sorrow<em>

_Should the situation ever arise, these sad words will burn to grey ashes._

* * *

><p>'<em>Ah. I really haven't looked at this in a while. I forgot I put a fake title to throw off Agasa if he peeped<em>,' reading it again, Ai smirked, '_Though, even now it's appropriate…especially with my name._'

Despite knowing it was a waste of time, she flipped to the first entry. Momentarily confused, she chuckled when she remembered that she hadn't bothered to date the accounts. After reading a few lines, she also recalled that she didn't specify any names and wrote in a strange narrative alien to a regular diary. In retrospect, with all of her caution, it really did seem like a short novel. Only those who knew the true story would be able to tell otherwise.

Full of a slight nostalgia now and noticing that there were far more blank pages than filled, Ai decided to read through it one last time. Once she was finished, she'd burn it just as she'd promised on the first page. After all, she was cleaning her room, she hadn't used the diary in a while and she probably never would again.

At least, that's what she thought when she began to read.

* * *

><p><em>The life I was born with has nothing left. My mother, father, and now my only sister, they've all been taken from me. No doubt it's some sort of divine retribution for the work I do. Yes, someone who cruelly pulls the strings of my life for mere entertainment and drama. Why else would I be the only one remaining, the only one with a chance of a new beginning?<em>

_Most would see it as a blessing straightforward, but I know it's mixed, especially considering the irony. By trying to end my life, I allowed myself to start a new one. I suppose in the end, my life truly did end, but I'm still living on this damn rock. Truth be told, I don't know why I bothered to go along with this new beginning. There really was no point._

_But I suppose there was that. That: such a vague way to word it, but the only way I can think of. From "undetermined" to "deceased" and now to "that" when I want to say "curiosity". However, "curiosity" is only part of it, I don't know the rest._

_I came searching for "that" - for my curiosity, and I found a new home, a new life, a new name, a new school, and a new feeling. Tomorrow, I'll leave my home to start my life at my school with this unfamiliar feeling leading the way. While I'm there, hopefully I'll meet_

_Wait. "Hope". Is that what this is?_

_No. That can't be the case. There's nothing for me to hope for, not anymore. There's nothing that can be done._

_But I suppose there's still curiosity, so for the sake of that, I'll tread through one more day._

* * *

><p>It was so different, so much so that Ai almost didn't feel she'd written those words. However, in the back of her mind, she knew she had. She could even remember the lighting in the room and the knot in her gut as she scribbled with her pen. That feeling in her stomach arose again as she read over the words…and she didn't like it. Deep down, she wanted to stop there, but just as she had while writing that first entry, she went on for the sake of curiosity.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Though this new world is white, it's still familiar. Everyone blends together like numbers on a screen, not one of them distinct. But when there's difference, everyone takes notice. They all stare. They all wonder. They all judge.<em>

_I came into the white from the black: it's grey. I've tainted the world, and they've taken notice. They want me gone, I can feel it. Especially my so-called "hope"._

_My suspicions were correct: I met him today…the other, as I like to call him. While I wanted my life to end willingly when I started anew, the other never wanted to die in the first place. Because of my work, I've bent another life. The other resents me for that, I can feel it. At least it's familiar: resentment, hate… The darker side of humanity still does exist here, it seems._

_However. It's still…light. More so around the other._

_It's strange…or perhaps it'd be better to say the other is strange. After I revealed myself to him and the hate set in, we went on a search for a relatively pointless disc (though at the time, we thought it was worth something). At the scene there was a murder. Seemingly hopeless, I paid it no mind, but the other was highly interested. Somehow through a twist of fate and - in my opinion - a twist of physics, the culprit was revealed, swift and easily._

_That was when I "saw" just how much the other really hated me._

_My sister. With his abilities, the other could have easily saved her. Yet for some reason, he didn't. Did he know she was related to me? Did he know that I was the cause of his torture? The other wanted revenge, that's what I thought._

_But, when my emotions overflowed and I couldn't control myself, the other stood still when I bawled. He didn't scold me. He didn't beat me. He didn't even glare. Eventually when I saw his face, it almost seemed as if the other…wanted to cry himself._

_Why?_

_I remember when my sister told me about the other. She seemed genuinely happy to be around him, but that's how she was with everyone, even when she didn't know them well, like the case with the other._

_So why? Why was the other sincerely effected when reminded of my sister's death? He barely knew her._

_I don't understand him at all._

* * *

><p>Reading over the last line, Ai frowned. She'd written the entry right after they'd obtained the floppy disk from Hirota's home, but deep down the last line still partially rang through her. Despite the time she'd spent with him, Kudo was still a puzzle. Or a mystery, as he'd prefer.<p>

With the word '_mystery_' in mind, a phrase from the same night of the entry came back to her: "There's not a mystery in the world that can't be solved." She had to wonder. Was that really true? Kudo had said it with the utmost confidence, but how could she take it at face value from the very mystery she was trying to solve?

Realizing she was drifting off into thought once more, Ai lightly smacked her forehead before refocusing on the diary.

* * *

><p><em>I never thought that going to a soccer game could ever amount to anything more than a migraine, but I've come to notice that with the other around, anything can happen. The score at the end eluded me, but it's not all surprising with what occurred behind the scenes during the game.<em>

_However, that's a story the newspapers would cover, or in the very least the police report. Something more useful would be observations of the other._

_I had thought of him as some sort of deductive genius, but seeing him bounce around like a child simply due to a kick of a ball has convinced me otherwise. I can't grasp what it is that makes him tick. I even sent some playful remarks his way to see how he'd react. But before I knew it, I began to say odd things that seemed to spontaneously pop out of my mouth. It inclined after the other lent me his hat._

_I don't get it. I saw the hate in his eyes when we met. He even labelled me a murderer. I've seen it all before, I recognize it. So then why is he different? Where did his hate go? Today, the other even treated me as if I were one of the crowd._

_As if I were normal._

_One thing is for certain: the other is a bigger mystery than anything else I've encountered. Coming from someone who's solved many a complex equation, this is saying something. I'll stick around, if only to figure out the puzzle that is the other._

* * *

><p>At certain sections, Ai had to do everything in her power to resist erasing the words she read. So badly she wanted to scratch out those specific phrases - the ones that gave off that impression. That was a time long past, she knew that. Yet the handwriting taunted her. It didn't outright say it, but the words were easy enough to decode.<p>

One glance by someone such as Kudo would reveal the truth: a crush. Unfortunately, it wasn't the painful crush Ai would wish upon the pages, it was the pitiful one. Now aware that it was long gone, she continued on to remind herself just what she used to be…and why change was a good thing.

* * *

><p><em>The other must be affecting those around him. Out of the blue, with no real explanation, a girl asked me how I felt about the other. I knew that she liked him, and I know jealousy can reveal the peculiarity in people, but this was too much. Of course I told her how she was wrong in her thinking, but I still wonder how she came to even think of her question.<em>

_Perhaps there are certain "signs" in this world of white that didn't exist in the black. I'll have to watch out for them._

* * *

><p>In an instant, the need to slide her hand down her face left Ai and was instead replaced with a minor tremble. Subconsciously combining '<em>black<em>' and '_watch out for them_', she was quickly reminded just what was next. Despite it only being a memory, it still chilled her to the bone. She knew what the coming entry was going to entail.

* * *

><p><em>I want to say it started with that dream, but I know better. I know that my old life wasn't going to abandon me that easily. No, it enjoyed torturing me too much to let me go. But I never remembered it being so horrifying.<em>

_Perhaps it's true: you don't know what you've got until it's gone. After living my life in the dark terror, I became immune and I could go on despite the black. Then after I came into the light and adjusted, the black swallowed me, making me blind._

_I didn't think I'd make it back to the new white world. I didn't think I needed to. I had nothing to lose anymore, why not embrace death? That's what I thought. I was better off dead, I shouldn't escape death again._

_And again, the other came in and changed everything. What is it that drives him? He always strives to find the truth with his beloved logic, and yet logic seems to bend around him. I should've died and after getting involved the way he did, the other should've died as well. But he didn't. I didn't. Both of us are still alive. Both of us are living our new lives, as if nothing happened._

_I never thought such a thing was possible. Usually the darkness always wins. It taints the heart so easily. I, above all others, should know this._

_However._

_It's unlikely, but_

_Maybe I'm the one that's changed._

* * *

><p>Staring at the last line, Ai couldn't help but blink. For her current self, it was all too obvious that she wasn't the same person she'd been at first, but never had she thought the change had started so early. Had it really been that gradual? Interested now, she went on, hoping to visually notice the small details that eventually lead to her new self.<p>

* * *

><p><em>There is another. Yes, that's what I'll call her: Another.<em>

_She is a woman who the other lives with. Intriguing enough, she's also the apple of his eye. To top it off, though the other strives to hunt for the truth, he's forced to deceive her. Perhaps the force above doesn't only have eyes for my misery alone._

_I haven't truly met her, and frankly, I'd rather not. Another reminds me too much of what I've lost, specifically my sister. However, even so, when I give her the cold shoulder, something feels wrong. It isn't the pain of remembrance that makes me do it, I can tell. What's wrong is that I don't know what does._

_Aside from that, I came up with an interesting plan involving the other and Another. He mentioned that Another was onto him. That could be a liability, so I knew we'd have to deal with the situation, and I knew the other would go along with it, despite it risking his life. He'll do anything to keep Another safe._

_It rattles me. Despite his care for her, the other continues to hide everything from Another. I can't deny that I've pushed him in that direction on more than one occasion, but I can't quite understand how he hasn't told her yet. It's rare that he takes my, or anyone else's, advice, so it's his own choice to keep the truth from Another. I know that it'd be dangerous for her to know, and I prefer that she doesn't, however, the other thinking that same way_

_It just doesn't seem like him._

_We've successfully tricked Another, and the other was quite happy in his old life while I lived his new. I can just tell he's going to beg me later to let him have "a few more minutes". How I can't wait to bluntly shut him down. He should know that he's already taken more than enough chances with his first comeback. Another is tricked, that's all that we were aiming for._

* * *

><p>Preferring not to think too much on "Another", Ai flipped the page.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Already, the dark has returned. Just a simple ski trip, that's what it was going to be. But that bus ride quickly turned into hell. It wasn't because of the event that occurred, either.<em>

_It was because she was there. I didn't see her, but I could sense her. That horrible, vile woman. All I could do was cower. She didn't even show herself. That's the extent of her darkness. Everything around me became a blur while I worried._

_"They can't see me." "They'll kill everyone." "This can't happen, not today." I thought._

_Even with the other right at my side, I still trembled. If anything, his presence worried me more. I didn't want the black to engulf him. Especially since_

_If not for him, so many people would've died on that bus. The children, the old man, innocents, and me._

_Well I would've died alone, but the other saved me. I've wondered about his reasons before. I assumed it was simply to regain his old life or to repay me for covering him, but even now that doesn't seem to cut it. From what I can gather, he simply saves people because he can._

_What sort of mindset is that? The best of people can't deny that they value their own lives over others in dire situations, so how does he make it look so easy to throw it all away?_

* * *

><p>Ai smirked at her past ignorance. If anyone that knew Kudo were asked right then about it, everyone would reply that he saves the lives of others as if it were his job. He also spewed words of wisdom, much like what was scrawled on the next page.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"Don't run away from your fate."<em>

* * *

><p>She wasn't surprised in the least that the small phrase had its very own page. Those words meant a lot to her. Uncertain and treacherous as her fate was, she knew that Kudo had been right. Running had never accomplished anything for her, not once. Everything she ran from had only left a trail of death. But when she faced it head on…<p>

Reading over the quote a few times over, Ai had to reconsider her earlier resolve. Burning the book would dispose of some of the pathetic implications, but other, precious words would also fall to ashes. Perhaps she'd just rip out the pages she wanted to keep. As she put a mark on the edge of the page with Kudo's quote, she was taken aback by another sentence that claimed its own page.

* * *

><p><em>"Courage is a word that gives you the strength to do what's right."<em>

* * *

><p>These words hadn't come from Kudo, instead they'd been uttered by the one he treasured most. Perhaps that made the most sense of all. Maybe what inspired her to say those words was part of what Kudo liked about her so much. It might've also been what made <em>everyone<em> like her so much.

Mouri Ran: referred to as '_Another_' in the diary, she was mentioned repeatedly in the entries the Ai had begun to skim. Not surprising her, some of the passages with her mentioned were less than friendly. It made sense: though at the time she'd thought it was the reminder of Akemi that made her act that way, Ai knew then that it had just been jealousy. What did shock her was that she'd realized that sooner than she'd thought.

It was, in fact, detailed in the section she'd just turned to…the last section in the whole of the journal.

* * *

><p><em>The other and Another are definitely a pair for the ages. I never thought it'd be possible for two people to be so much like each other.<em>

_Including stupidity._

_Yet again the black made an appearance, and of course the other made no hesitation to throw himself into danger. I tried to stop him, but it was he who ended up stopping me. Through a method I won't detail here, he knocked me out, and when I woke up, something dawned on me._

_Before I had fallen asleep, I was worried his actions were going to put many in danger, but when I awoke and realized he was already making way with a foolish, risk-filled plan, my mind emptied and I could only think of one thing:_

_The other cannot die. I won't allow it. For if he was gone_

_I would be without a point._

_At the time I didn't make the inference, but this almost assuredly is the reason behind my disdain aimed at Another. I suppose I always felt that she was taking the other away from me. Not that I own him, but deep down perhaps I thought I did._

_Or I wanted to._

_These petty feelings aside, that night made me come to a conclusion: with this new life in my hands, I'm going to make the best of it. I've come to face my past and it won't haunt me anymore. I'll live for the future._

_As for the other_

_He is not mine. He never was. And he never will be. He is not Another's either. He is his own._

_That is what makes him so unique. So special. I'm happy I was able to meet him. To meet Ano_

_No. Perhaps it is I that is Another. To the other, I am Another, and Another_

_Is The One._

* * *

><p>Silently making her way through the remaining pages of the book, Ai quietly closed it once she reached the end. Not a single word was written after the entry she'd just read, despite much having happened. The event detailed - the night of the double disguises and Vermouth's reveal - had been some time ago. Ai was almost confused as to how she hadn't written anything since that day, but part of her understood.<p>

Writing in that book just made her think of that trivial crush she'd had on Kudo, and after getting over it, she didn't want to be reminded of it at all. However, despite this, Ai didn't feel the way she'd finished the diary was right.

For this reason, she picked up her pen and began to write. A few times she had to think on how she should word things to fit with the rest of it, but on the whole it didn't take long to complete her thought. Even so, just as she put her pen down, Agasa called to her from beyond the door following a knock, "Ai-kun! What's taking you?"

"I'll be there in a second," closing the diary, she headed to its hiding place. Before placing it back in its spot, she stared at the cover that concealed the newly printed words.

* * *

><p><em>Finally, after the longest time, the other has confessed his feelings for The One. From me this would sound odd with the humiliating crush I'd had before, but in reality it's made me relieved. This confession was a long time coming and was the final step I needed to trash that old crush for good. Daresay<em>

_I'm happy for the other and I'm happy for The One. I'm also happy for myself._

_I have friends, a home, and a new look on the world. While I still have doubts on how safe my life truly is, I'm thankful for what I have and I'm thankful to the other. I couldn't have asked for more than to see him happy as he is for the help he's given me. And knowing his snooping qualities, if he reads this_

_Should you hear a gun at night: that'll be me, you no-good peep._

* * *

><p>Chuckling as she imagined Kudo's face should he ever read the last line, Ai waved off Agasa's obligatory question and replaced it with one of her own, "Why are we cleaning so early in the month, anyway? Not that I disagree with a polished home, but it doesn't seem like you."<p>

"It's not that early, only a few days," flashing one of his usual toothy grins, Agasa continued, "Anyway, we'll be having the kids overnight before going on that camping trip, remember? I thought it'd be better to clean ahead since we'd be gone during the usual time we do it."

Looking up, Ai mumbled to herself, "That's right, another camping trip with the Trio of Trouble." Hiding a smile behind the back of her head, she added, "…and the other."

Out of her field of view, Agasa rose a brow.

* * *

><p>(Prologue: END)<p>

I think I'm liking the direction this is going. Those diary entries were fun to do…despite the fact I usually don't like doing diary things. It seems a bit cheap, but I wanted to clarify my perception of Ai's character for this and going over significant events in view was the easiest way to do that.

Regarding the song lyrics at the top of the chapter, I've decided to do that for each chapter. That being a line or two that I think fits the AiCon pairing and likely the chapter itself. It's just a detail I liked, not that the songs are necessary :P

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this so far. And also, from previous stories it's been proven reviews help me write faster so… ;) …Of course, as I'm using my father's computer to write (as the usual one is in the works) updates probably won't be frequent. :C


	2. Expedition

_**A/N:**_ Onto chapter two. :D As of right now, I don't have much to mention here other than thanks to my father to letting me hijac-cough- borrow his computer (not that he'd see this).

On the whole, I really hope to meet the challenge that inspired this fic. If not…eh, it was practice -shrugs- And what better way to learn than from mistakes, am I rite?

Something I forgot to mention: this story is being written as File 786 is out. So if you aren't up to speed with the manga, this might have spoilers, so watch out.

Also, here, as anyone familiar with my previous work, AWA, would know, I reply to reviews~

**aly-angel flight, Ninada, YELLOW JACKET PRIDE, CoolKid94 - **Thank you all kindly. :3

**Chelseaj500 - **I'm glad you're enjoying it. Unfortunately, this probably won't go to the epic proportions AWA did, but it'll definitely be interesting, I can assure you.

**Enji86 - **If thou wish, thou shall receive.

**Part-Time Dreamer - **Glad that you like the diary portions. I tried really hard to make them '_different_' than the usual diary entries you see around. I also like the way you phrased that last line of yours xD "The real One"

**Arisana - **Thanks for the long review, always love those. :D Anyway, you're among others who've mentioned that "knack". Weird, as I kind of don't see it :| And as for Ai's refusal to can Ran by her name…it's difficult at times to say the least xD Regarding humour, there'll be plenty scattered about, but you're right: there'll probably be less than usual (I'm generally more serious in fics than comics and captions, though)

* * *

><p><em><span>Grey Shades of Love<span>_

Chapter 1: Expedition

"I believe that there's hope, buried beneath it all" ~_Let the Flames Begin _Paramore

* * *

><p>"Treasure, treasure! We're going to camp and then find gold, for sure~!" singing their own original tune, the Detective Boys continued on in good cheer as Agasa's Beetle made its way down the mountain road. Pulled away from her original childhood to pursue a top-secret project in the Black Organization, Ai had to wonder if hunting for treasure was a natural part of being a kid.<p>

Kudo didn't seem to think so. "Come on, guys. We go searching for '_treasure_' almost every camping trip we go on. Can't we just relax once?"

"No way!" though starting off in unison with the boys, Ayumi eventually broke away, "Don't be such a party pooper, Conan-kun."

"Yeah!" In true Mitsuhiko fashion, he agreed with Ayumi almost immediately, "Treasure-hunting is fun. Relaxing is just boring."

"Besides," looking back from the front seat, Genta argued, "we _search_ every trip we go on, but have we _found_ any treasure yet? No. That's why we can't give up yet!"

Sitting to her side, Ai heard Kudo mumble, "That's why you _should_ give up."

Enjoying any opportunity of the kind that came her way, Ai teased, "That doesn't sound like you, Edogawa-kun. I mean, you're the kind of guy that doesn't give up no matter what gets in his way. Even if you lost an arm, you'd still head for your goal. What makes treasure-hunting any different?"

"H-Heh, come on, I'm not like that," receiving many looks around the car that said otherwise, Kudo finished the circle with his own annoyed face aimed at Ai. After holding the scowl for a few seconds, he finally sighed in defeat, "Fine, we can '_search for treasure_'. Don't blame me if we end up empty-handed."

Despite the pessimistic spin Kudo had put on his agreement, the Detective Boys applauded louder and happier than they had before. Luckily the campsite wasn't too far at that point or Ai would've gotten one hell of a headache from all the noise. Judging by his face when he stepped out of the car, Kudo had already gotten his. Hand to his forehead, he glanced around the area. "This doesn't look like your regular camping grounds. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

Appalled by Kudo's lack in faith, Agasa replied in a flush, "Of course! There _is_ a bit more greenery than normal, but that just adds to the experience. You can't see them now, but there are cabins scattered about these woods."

"This is awesome!" clenching his fist in determination, Genta grinned, "This is just the sort of place where treasure would be! There's probably a bunch of stuff buried under logs or near creeks!"

Excited by Genta's small speech, Mitsuhiko added on, "There might even be an empty cabin where the owner left their fortune for others to find! Like collectables, paintings, jewellery-"

"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot!" interrupting Mitsuhiko's list, Ayumi plopped her backpack onto the ground. Sifting through it for a few seconds, she finally smiled. Turning to Ai, she held out a small wrapped box. When Ai asked what it was, Ayumi answered, "Well, just the other day I realized that we've never asked about your birthday before. So, just in case we missed it, I decided to get a little gift! …Actually, when I saw it I thought of you right away, so I think I would've gotten it for you anyway."

Not the only one in the dark about the present, Ai scanned the other surprised expressions around her before she began to work at the wrapping paper. Lifting the lid of the box that had been hidden by the paper, she blinked a few times. Leaning in to her side, Kudo also batted his eyes before letting out a breath in awe, "Whoa, that's _nice_."

Though his word choice was lacking, Kudo was right: the pendant was beautiful. Under what looked like a cloud where the chains connected, the main section was shaped like a drop of rain. Engraved on it was an incomplete heart with some swirls laid out around it. When Ai twisted in in her fingers it glinted. She also noticed that it wasn't just a pendant, it was a locket.

Before checking it, however, she sent a curved smile Ayumi's way, "It's lovely, I appreciate it. But…didn't this cost you a lot?"

"That doesn't matter," waving it off simply with a cat-like smile, Ayumi somehow got even brighter with her next sentence, "Besides, the locket isn't the _real_ gift. Look inside it!"

With everyone peering over her shoulders now bar Ayumi, Ai wedged her fingernails into the opening of the locket. Giving one swift pull, she revealed the "real" gift inside. It was a surprise to all of them.

Just the week before they'd found an old photo booth, taking a few shots for fun, they hadn't really thought much of the event (at least Ai hadn't). However, one of those very pictures had been cut and slipped into the locket. In the front, Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi herself wore broad grins. Behind them, Kudo and Ai smirked with the usual weighed patience. It was a lovely photograph, perfect for the locket. Amazed at how well the picture had been put into the already marvellous locket, Ai's stoic façade broke for a second. "Thank you so much, Ayumi-chan."

"You like it, then?" Overjoyed after Ai's nod, Ayumi hopped in excitement, "I can help you put it on! It'll look great on you, I'm sure!"

Lifting up her hair as Ayumi fidgeted behind her, Ai couldn't help but smile. It didn't last long as she glared when she noticed Kudo's cheeky grin. She didn't quite understand why he thought the situation required a taunting look. Was her smiling really something he liked to mock?

Mentally noting to get him back later, Ai jutted her thumb towards the wood when Ayumi finished clasping the locket. "We should find a good camping ground before it starts to get too late. After all, we want to explore the area, don't we?"

Letting out another cheer in unison, the Detective Boys rushed forward much to Agasa's dismay. Hollering a reminder that they could easily get lost, Agasa followed after them. Ai and Kudo also trailed, but at a slower pace. Taking the chance, Ai joshed with him, "So, where are you and your girl going to hold the celebration of your '_love_'? Will it be in front of Big Ben as well?"

Blushing immediately as she'd expected, Kudo stuttered, "Wh-What are you talking about? I-I just told her I liked her, alright? What's this about a '_c-celebration of _love'?"

"Nothing in particular. Though, I suppose you can't celebrate until she answers back," recalling that small bump in the road for the '_pair of the ages_', Ai turned to Kudo with a more serious expression, "Does she have any…plans for that yet that you know of?"

"No, not yet. She's still flustered about the whole thing," giving off a half-hearted smile, Kudo shook his head, "But it doesn't matter. I actually-I prefer how things are going right now. Ran's happy, but because of her embarrassment she's not worrying about me as much as usual. It's a bit of a relief."

"But surely you haven't forgotten," Ai narrowed her eyes, "what'll happen once she finally gives you her reply?"

"I know," with any spark of happiness evaporating off his face, Kudo continued on in a solemn tone, "She'll fret even more about me, all the while oblivious to the fact that I'm fine, standing right beside her. It's weird, but I…

"I'm almost dreading the day she'll give me her answer."

Up until that point, Ai had always had the impression that underneath it all, Kudo wanted badly to spill everything and was only resisting the urge on her and Agasa's word, but at that moment, she couldn't be sure on his motives. The way he'd said his last phrase, it almost sounded as if he wasn't dreading her response, but rather the guilt that would come with it: guilt that could persuade him to tell her the truth. It seemed crazy, but Ai could only come to one conclusion: what he was afraid of was telling her the truth.

Ai would've prodded into the subject more if not for the yells ahead for the two of them to hurry up. They could've easily went on at a slightly quicker pace, but Kudo ran forward with the aim to catch up. Unable to stop him, Ai also switched to a faster gear. When she made it to the group, she made a quiet vow to talk to Kudo later.

* * *

><p>Disappearing along with the sun, the Detective Boys' hopes and cheers dwindled into moans and groans as they fidgeted about the campsite. As Kudo had predicted, they hadn't found any treasure, so naturally the group was downtrodden…except for him of course. Ai normally wouldn't have cared either, but while they had been on their escapade something had happened.<p>

Always one to notice a change in people's behaviours, Kudo pulled Ai away from the group under the guise of finding some more firewood. Once they were out of hearing range from the others, he wasted no time in getting to the point. "Alright, what's up? You've been acting weird for a while now."

Although she knew he was going to ask about it, Ai wasn't about to let him get what he wanted without resistance. "How so?"

Playing along with her game, Kudo began a list, "Partway through our trek in the woods you wouldn't respond at all, you've been looking around the ground anxiously, volunteering to do jobs you usually wouldn't deign to, and lastly, you're not wearing the wonderful gift you received earlier today."

"How is that odd?" He was close and she could feel it, but Ai hadn't given up yet, "Maybe I didn't want to get it dirty or caught on something."

"Then you tuck it under your shirt," Kudo continued before Ai could argue anymore, "Of course, that's assuming you have it in the first place."

Caught, not that she expected any less. Kudo always had to search for that '_single truth_', even in the most minor of things. He needed to see the world for what it was, not for its deceit…which is exactly why Ai was no less surprised when he began to delve deeper into the topic.

"Just where do you think you lost it? During our trip in the woods?" checking his watch, he added, "We could retrace our steps, but it's going to be dark soon. …Why didn't you mention it? We could've been searching while it was still light."

"I didn't notice the exact time that it went missing. Besides, it would've distracted from our '_treasure hunt_'," looking towards the setting sun, Ai narrowed her eyes, "And I very well couldn't let Ayumi-chan down like that."

"Heh, it would've been more satisfying to search for that locket. At least that way we would've actually found something," exchanging his smile for his deducing face, Kudo placed his hand on his chin, "Now, you might've not noticed _exactly_ when it fell off, but you did notice it eventually. By eliminating the areas we visited after you noticed it was gone, we can narrow down the search."

Aware that he wasn't going to quit until he got a straightforward answer, Ai didn't bother to hold back, "If you insist, I believe I realized it was gone around when we first found the small river. You know, right after pushing our way through that dense part of the wood?"

"That early and you still didn't mention it?" glancing at her from the corner of his eye, Kudo mumbled, "You really should've brought it up…or at the very least told Ayumi-chan about it."

"I can't do that," having sat down on the grass, Ai hugged her knees, "She'll be heartbroken."

Silent for a while, Kudo remained standing. As the sky grew red and the shadows stretched over the landscape, Ai listened intently. Had he finally realized what she had been getting at? Of course.

…but that didn't mean he agreed. "I'd say that it'd hurt her more if she found out on her own." Turning to face him with wide eyes, Ai spun just as he was sitting down. While the grass bent beneath him, he also twisted to look her in the eye, "The longer you wait, the more it'll sting when the truth eventually comes out."

With her lower lip abandoning the top one, Ai's look of revelation was complete. Likely Kudo thought that she was just coming to realize he was right, but that wasn't the whole case. In a way, he was right and part of her agreed with him, however that wasn't what made her eyes shake. What shocked her was the double meaning behind the words he had just said.

'_Is he serious? Doesn't he realize those very words apply just as much to him as they do to me?_' staring directly into his eyes for a few seconds longer, Ai could tell that he wasn't a hypocrite: he really was ignorant of the message between the lines. She furrowed her brows. '_He honestly doesn't see the irony_.'

Detecting the slight change in her face, Kudo questioned, "What is it?"

Not about to be caught twice, Ai lied, "I was just thinking that you might be right. I'm still not going to tell her, not yet."

"You really ought to," Kudo rose and said something about firewood as he wandered off, but Ai didn't focus on that. All she could think about was the conversation they'd had. If they had switched lines, every word would've fit perfectly in regards to his situation revolving around his secret identity. Ai almost felt she should point it out, but that would just lead to a liability. Keeping Edogawa Conan's life as Kudo Shinichi in the dark was the right thing to do.

Or was it? Conceding to help with Kudo's ploy, Ai thought over it as she picked up pieces of firewood. People's morals changed with the flip of coin and every side of a situation had advantages. How could she tell what was right or wrong? Peering over her shoulder, she watched as Kudo filtered through the grass in search of twigs, unaware of her gaze. Maybe the '_right_' thing was to let the truth out, at least to _her_.

But she couldn't be sure.

* * *

><p>"S'mores! S'mores! I want some more~!" regaining their cheer from earlier in the day (no doubt from the sugar), the Detective Boys gleefully sang another original tune. "S'mores! S'mores! They'll give us energy and tomorrow we'll score~!"<p>

"And everyone says _I'm_ tone-deaf," starting off on a whispered note, Kudo quickly raised the volume before taking a bite of his snack, "Haibara, why aren't you having any?"

Luckily using their dog-like hearing to catch the last tidbit rather than the first one, the Detective Boys instantly latched their eyes onto Ai. After sharing a quick glance between each other, they began to hastily make new s'mores. Mitsuhiko finished first, and as soon as the second graham cracker was placed on the marshmallow, he extended it towards Ai. Not about to turn it down when all three kids were so determined and Kudo was grinning again, Ai took the treat with a crooked smile.

Flinching a bit when the marshmallow threatened to drip, she examined the s'more in search of the best angle at which to bite. Feeling the unsaid message that she was taking too long from the side, she abandoned the hope of eating it in a clean way and simply took a bite. With the marshmallow clinging to the sides of her mouth with some melted chocolate, she felt sticky and gross. She couldn't deny the wonderful taste, however, and thus she smiled.

"I never knew that marshmallow and chocolate on mere crackers could taste so good," picking up her handkerchief to wipe away the remains near her mouth once she finished, Ai noticed the cloth was hugging her fingers, "It's just too bad that they're so adhesive."

"That's half the fun!" swallowing down another s'more, Genta licked his lips hungrily and aimed his eyes upward in imagination, "Besides, some of the best foods are the messy ones. Ribs, spaghetti, cotton candy, ice cream…"

"I've gotta agree," smiling, Mitsuhiko went about making another s'more for himself, "You can just wash yourself off afterwards, so what's the harm in a little stickiness?"

"You said it, Mitsuhiko-kun!" After failing to notice Mitsuhiko's blush, Ayumi went on to begin another exciting conversation with the boys. Meanwhile, Ai sat and watched with a grin on her face.

Beside her, Kudo also smirked. "That was your first s'more, wasn't it?"

"Yes," determined to cut his tease short, Ai responded quietly, "Unfortunately it was difficult to go out and buy marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers when I was usually in a lab. A campfire was even more of an impossibility."

"Geez, forget I asked." Kudo's smile didn't dissipate despite his comment. Ayumi, however, changed that.

"Ai-chan, where's your necklace?"

Ai felt Kudo's stare boring into her side. He was waiting for her reply more intently than Ayumi. Not one to disappoint, Ai didn't make him wait. "I took it off when we were getting into the dense parts of the woods. I didn't want it to catch on anything. I guess I just got caught up in the adventuring after that. Right now…well, I wouldn't want to get marshmallow all over it."

Though Ayumi took Ai's response in full stride, Kudo disapproved of it completely. His eyes were no longer glued to her and when she peered to the side he was merely munching on a s'more, but she knew that he was displeased. Not that Ai cared: she'd told him before that Ayumi wasn't going to know the truth, he should've been expecting her reaction.

What she did care about, however, was his knowledge of the situation. She didn't feel it was too much of a problem, but if he wanted to Kudo could easily come clean. A large part of her doubted that he'd do such a thing, but the remaining portion doubted. It knew that Kudo would do _something_, and at that moment, spilling the beans was the only option.

There was another choice, but at that time Ai wasn't aware of it. She'd only come to the realization on that the next day.

* * *

><p>Amidst the extra layer of darkness provided by her closed eyelids in the middle of the night, Ai heard something stir in the tent. Always alert, she was immediately awakened. Sitting up quickly, her eyes met with shining pair in the dark. As hers blinked, the others closed and a shush came from below them.<p>

"Go back to sleep."

Raising a brow at Kudo's pleading face, Ai continued on as if he hadn't spoken. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just going to the bathroom," he whispered back, annoyed, "I was trying to be quiet to avoid something like this, but of course-"

"Just do it somewhere away from the camp," cutting Kudo off, Ai laid down once more, "I didn't see an outhouse when we were out before…and I don't want to find anything unpleasant in the morning."

Kudo gave a weak chuckle and Ai expected to hear the fabric of the tent moving immediately after. But it didn't. Curious, Ai rolled over to take a look. Kudo was still standing there. At her glance, he flinched and spun towards the exit. Stalling for a bit longer, he broke the silence one last time with a hushed murmur.

"Good night."

* * *

><p>"Agasa-hakase! How could you do that!"<p>

"It wasn't my intention! I swear that the breakfast was packed before we left!" Raising his hands in defence from the hungry, half-asleep Detective Boys scowling at him, Agasa turned to Ai for assistance. "Isn't that right, Ai-kun? You put it in the bag, right?"

"Oh, don't try to pin this on me," crossing her arms, Ai gave Agasa a scolding glare, "You know very well that you were in charge of the food. If I remember correctly, you even _insisted_ on handling it."

With Kudo not awake yet and none of the children willing to back him up, Agasa sighed in defeat. "I suppose we'll just have to go find one of the cabins around here and hope its owners are kind enough to lend us a bite to eat."

As the kids let out their cries of disbelief, Ai shook her head. It was unlikely such a thing was going to work, but it was the only thing they could do. Though, what was more unlikely was the odds of Kudo sleeping in.

Staring at the tent, Ai faced the group for a few seconds as she announced, "I'm going to wake up Edogawa-kun. Maybe he can think of something."

Pulling the material that composed the door of the structure out of her way, Ai looked at the undisturbed bundle of blankets in the middle. Her eyes widened considerably, the reason being that she saw that's all they were: a bundle of blankets. She'd been too distracted before by the ruckus and her drowsiness to notice, but Kudo wasn't there. Immediately she left the tent, as there was no point staying there.

A few questions headed her way which she answered calmly, but internally she was anything but composed. The kids and Agasa guessed that Kudo had simply gone to the bathroom as soon as he'd woken up, but Ai knew better. As much as she wanted to believe their theory, she knew the truth.

He hadn't been in the tent since late the previous evening. She knew this: his glasses weren't in their usual place and when she'd stirred at his leave, he'd been wearing them. Something had happened, and judging by the police sirens that had just started to ring through the air, it wasn't anything good.

* * *

><p>(Chapter 1: END)<p>

Dun-dun! …Yeah, who wasn't expecting that? :P

Sorry for the late update. I did warn you about it, but I'm going to confess this probably was later than it should've been. I've been getting distracted by LPs lately coughchuggaaconroycough

There's also school I guess. …But the LPs are more distracting! D:

Anyway, reviews help fuel the fire or however the saying goes, so let me know how this is going so far!


	3. Treasure

_**A/N:**_ Don't go to TV Tropes. You will never leave. D:

Instead you should go watch Storage Wars or Phineas and Ferb. (Or, y'know, maybe even read this, lol)

And wow this took a while to update. Sorry about that, really. With diminishing computer time with work, school and other projects, it's hard to get into this. Sorry again D: But well, here it is now~

**Arisana - **Well, they didn't actually go for a treasure hunt, just camping. The Detective Boys just love their exploration :P Intricate writing? Hm, I shall look at a dictionary and take a bit more thought for Haibara's lines. Thanks for the advice. :3

**Amaranth - **Thank you, glad you like my writing :3

**Enji86 - **I hope that '_heavy_' and reading things twice is a good thing xD' Well, her bad feeling may just be instinct :X

**Ninada - **Thanks for the compliments and for the guess. I love it when people guess :B (Even if it makes me feel predictable sometimes)

**Part-time Dreamer - **In the jungle? Cool! Glad I could make your day :D Dense detective indeed xD I'm also glad you like Ayumi's present :V Oh, you didn't read the- D: Well…I did put a warning at the top of the other one :X Funny prediction you have there xD

**radnomfan - **Aha, thanks xD Also thanks for the guess. As mentioned above, I love guesses :3

* * *

><p><em><span>Grey Shades of Love<span>_

Chapter 2: Treasure

"Bearing the gift of a new heart…Refined, I'll become the most precious, dazzling treasure" ~_Treasure_ Flyleaf

* * *

><p>While Ai had kept her knowledge of Kudo's leave to herself in order to keep the rest of the group calm, her efforts were wasted when the roar of the police sirens raised everyone's anxiety. It wasn't completely out of the question to try and convince them Kudo had nothing to do with the officials' arrival, but Ai knew that plan held little point. Each one of them knew it well: just like wherever there's Vodka there's Gin, wherever there's Kudo there's crime.<p>

However, common as it were, Ai felt there was something wrong. Kudo wouldn't have left to solve a crime he knew nothing about or that might not have occurred yet. The only other option was that he'd been unintentionally pulled into a situation. Depending on the scenario, that could be worrying.

Not about to rattle the others, Ai kept the assumption locked inside as she spoke, "There's no guarantee that Edogawa-kun is involved with whatever business the police are here for, but it'd be a good place to start. Besides, if worse comes to worse, we can ask them to help us look for him."

As the voice of reason with Kudo missing, everyone naturally agreed to her suggestion. Despite it being Ai's idea, however, Agasa led the way being the only adult among the group. Ai didn't mind this: it gave her time to think as she trailed behind the rest.

What could've made Kudo wander off into the woods that late at night? '_Going to the bathroom_' wasn't realistic at that point, even if he wanted to do his business a distance away from the camp. There would be no reason to stray far. Since it wasn't the crime that drew him away, as he shouldn't of known of it, it must've been something else. That something else wasn't hard to come by-Ai had already realized it.

The locket had been lost in the woods, and crazy as it'd be for anyone else to go off to find it, Kudo wasn't exactly among the normal crowd. It was right up his alley to do something like that; something so _idiotic_. Part of it was almost hypocritical: after lecturing her on doing the '_right_' thing by telling Ayumi the truth, he went off to do the '_wrong_' thing by finding the locket to cover up the original lie. Or maybe he was going to expose her deceit.

But that didn't seem like him.

Whatever the case was, the police could help in one way or another. If Kudo had been involved with the incident that had occurred, he wouldn't be far from the scene. If it turned out no one had seen him, they could ask for some assistance in finding him. She had to admit that relying solely on the police didn't happen much, but the only tracking glasses they had were the ones Kudo had on him. That and the fact that he'd left his badge in the tent would make the rest of the day…intriguing, to say the least.

* * *

><p>"Hey, who're you?"<p>

Such an event was rare for them with all of the felonies they'd encountered, but it made sense when an unfamiliar police officer stopped them at the edge of the crime scene. He seemed to be new on the job, with only a fellow worker's word convincing him that Agasa and the children were trustworthy. Ai wasn't focusing on the conversation, though, her mind was occupied with something else.

Around them, the forestry and the small waterfall…she'd seen them before. The whole group had: after finding the river, they'd wound their way down an incline before making it to the clearing-the clearing they were presently standing in. From what Ai could gather, a murder had taken place near the base of the cascading water. Depending on the time, Kudo definitely could've gotten involved.

She needed more information: things had just gotten worse. "Hey, excuse me, detective. Is the inspector on the case named Megure?"

Another look of scepticism passed across the man's face, met with one mirrored from Ai. He tried to maintain his scowl, but eventually he caved and turned towards Agasa. It seemed he was going to question him on her behaviour, but he was interrupted by an approaching female voice.

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly who's on the case," smirking with Takagi at her side, Satou seemed proud as usual, "There's also Takagi-kun and myself helping on the investigation."

After a few quick words from Satou sent the other cop off on different business, Ai promptly asked, "Could we see Megure-keibu?"

Blinking at Takagi in a small bout of surprise, Satou furrowed her brow before settling for a smile again. "I don't see why that'd be a problem. You guys usually help out during cases, after all."

"Why did you seem so off guard there, Satou-keiji?" Mitsuhiko set forth the question, but they had all been thinking it.

Answering for Satou, Takagi scratched his cheek and stared awkwardly at Ai, "O-Oh well, it's just…we didn't really expect to hear that kind of request from _you_."

"Anyway," turning away before the shared expressions could tell what had happened, Satou beckoned them to follow, "Megure-keibu is just over here. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see you all."

'_Ecstatic_' definitely wasn't the word for Megure's mood when he saw the ragtag group he knew too well: '_cynical_' would've been better. Though he was laughing dryly when he came up to them, Ai was all too aware he didn't find anything funny about them being there. "Should I really have expected anything different?"

Following a short scan of them with worn-out eyes, Megure's brows scrunched together. Shifting his view left and right a few times, he eventually ended his search at Agasa with a frown. "Alright, where is he?"

Ai instantly caught on to what Megure was getting at, but Agasa was baffled, replying with a "Wh-Who do you mean?"

"You can't pretend you haven't noticed. That Conan-kun attracts death more than beer attracts ol' Mouri-san," as Kudo's alias was mentioned everyone fell silent, once again passing the attention of the officer ahead of them, "Really, with all of you here and a dead body, that kid _has_ to be nearby."

"A-Actually," with the silence that held down the group's atmosphere, Agasa let his head hang for a second. His stalling didn't last long: it was only a few moments that passed before he gave Megure and the officers a summary of what had happened.

Any joking air or annoyance instantly evaporated at the news. Each of the officers switched to into their serious modes. Megure especially darkened his mood. He wasted no time getting to questions once Agasa had finished. "Do you have any estimate towards what time he disappeared?"

Looking about the children's faces, Agasa eventually shook his head, "W-We only just noticed this morning that-"

"Last night," breaking into Agasa's sentence, Ai revealed what she'd been hiding, "Late, in the middle of the night, he made me arouse from my sleep when he was taking leave to…attend to some business outdoors. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I'm almost certain he didn't return after that time."

While the information was taken into consideration, Satou bent down and sent forth a question regarding what Ai had said. "Do you have any idea-even a guess-as to what time it was when he left?"

Ai shook her head, lowering the hopes around her even further. She felt bad for being the cause of further worry, but she had to abandon the topic there. There was something else she needed to know. "Satou-keiji, if you wouldn't mind me inquiring, this body that's being investigated…do you have an approximate time of death yet?"

From behind her, Takagi stuttered, "W-Well, that's kind of confidential. We do know it, but-"

"What if it may be connected to Edogawa-kun's disappearance?" Despondent, Ai tried to keep an about face as the query left her. Pulling on that thread was something she had strongly resisted, but at that point she didn't have much of a choice. She spun slightly to face Megure. "Bear in mind what you yourself said: he's always around when there's a dead body. What if he-What if he was '_early_' to the scene this time…and foul play was involved?"

There was a heavy silence as the possible circumstances unravelled in their skulls. Without delay once the ideas stopped making his pupils shrink, Megure nodded solemnly. "It hasn't been too long since the victim died. At first glance she seems to have been dead for about three hours. Things won't be certain until an autopsy comes back, but I'm pretty positive."

"As for foul play," Satou flipped open her notebook, "That seems unlikely. Right now we're almost certain this was an accident. The victim was hit in the back of the head by something hard before drowning in the river."

"What if somebody hit her over the head? That'd be murder!" fists bopping, Genta was genuinely concerned, "If that were the case, Conan could be in deep trouble!"

With Satou calming the kids down, Takagi went on explaining, "No, that's really doubtful. The body wasn't actually found here. The reason we're here is because the object that hit the victim's head was found in this area. See?"

Taking Takagi's words to mind, they set their sights on the fallen rock that he had pointed to. There was some incense scattered near it, appropriately labelled. Though difficult to read at the distance along with the fact it had toppled, Ai was able to make out a name that had been etched into the stone, along with a description:

_Benjiro_

_Beloved brother and son, may he rest in peace_

Unable to avoid the urge, Ai fell into a spell of deduction, likely caught from Kudo. Tilting her head, she too pointed to the tombstone, "Who exactly is this '_Benjiro_' who died here? Is it possible he has a connection to the victim?"

"Astute observation!" motioning her head to the side, Satou gave light to the three non-officials being questioned to the side. "According to those three, who knew the current victim, Benjiro was the brother of the deceased. They're not here under suspicion, just precaution."

"Brother?" Knowing that scenarios in the past were often important ala Kudo, Ai couldn't help but prod further, "Do you know the circumstances behind the boy's death? There's a possibility it could be relevant to what happened to his sister."

Satou frowned. "Well, actually they didn't-"

"Ai-chan," likely not meaning to interrupt, Ayumi spoke in a tone that fell just short of a taunt, "You're doing it again: smiling like Conan-kun."

Ai felt that the tease would've lasted longer if not for the recollection that came with it that formed clouds over their moods, much like the overcast sky above. Sensing the dampened aura of the group, Megure turned to Takagi. "We'll be able to handle things here. You go with them and see if you can help. Maybe call back for a few reinforcements, too. Tell them there's a boy lost in the woods."

"Wh-What did you say?" From the side, shocking all of them with his outburst, a man in the questioned group approached in a sweat. Behind him, the other two weren't far, each appearing just as flustered as the one in front. Once he got near Megure, the man's attitude calmed when he saw Megure's displeased face. "I-I apologize for shouting but…I couldn't help but overhear."

The older of the two women in the back spoke up next, "W-We…If there's anything we can do to assist you, we'll do it. P-Please, we'd like to help."

"Hold up," attracting their stares downward, Ai crossed her arms, "I can comprehend wanting to do a good deed, but the three of you a bit…_too_ insistent. Is there some reason the three of you are so dishevelled?"

Cutting short the older two (who were a couple if the rings on their fingers were any indication) as they tried to worm out of answering the question, the younger woman shrugged and stepped forward. "I'd think it'd be a bit obvious, but I guess you're just a kid after all.

"The reason we're so '_insistent_' is that a member of our family-Benjiro-also got lost in the forest. As you may have guessed, things didn't turn out well," despite her hint of sarcasm, the woman was thoroughly saddened at the mention of the boy's death. She shook her head. "We just don't-We don't want anyone else to end up like Benjiro-kun."

"I see," hand on his chin, Megure thought about it, "Well, it's almost completely certain that this was an accident but-" When a few irritated looks came from the family, Megure waved his hands in front of himself uneasily. "I-If you're with an officer at all times, I suppose it'll be alright."

"Wait a minute-" Instinctively opening her mouth, Ai wasn't ready for the stares that headed her way. Uncertain, she went over what she knew. Everything did seem to point to an accident and those before her didn't seem suspicious, but she knew from experience on Kudo's cases that many a time nothing was as it seemed. Accidents were almost unheard of when he was around. Was this any different? Would it be right to let these people off the hook?

"Yes?" Pulling her from her thoughts, Megure had one brow raised, "Is something the matter?"

Making her decision, Ai spoke. "Should we split up, or stay in one group?"

Though Megure responded with something, Ai honestly didn't care. At that moment, they needed to focus on finding Kudo. If they didn't, they could have another dead boy on their hands. That wouldn't be good: the Detective Boys were downtrodden enough, especially Ayumi.

"C-Come on, Ayumi-chan," trying his best to smile, Genta placed a hand on Ayumi's trembling shoulder, "Conan'll be alright. He always comes out okay, even in a pinch."

"Genta-kun's right. Try to be positive!" When his words didn't seem to affect Ayumi's condition, Mitsuhiko scanned the area desperately. His eyes caught something. "Oh, Ayumi-chan, look at the colors waving in the waterfall!"

Curious herself, Ai peered over her shoulder to take a gander at the water plunging into more of itself. It was true: it was hard to see, but wobbling about under the layers of liquid there were the brighter colors of white and light blues, dancing. Something about the sight sent a strange pulse through Ai's mind. Was it an omen?

Finding it unimportant, Ai went up to Ayumi and smiled at her. She didn't need to say anything, Ayumi smiled back. It was an unsent message: _We'll find him, don't worry._ However, another message, hidden behind her eyes, was more pessimistic: _What has he gotten himself into this time?_ And, even further down, so much so that Ai herself wasn't fully aware of it, one last phrase was buried beneath others.

_Did this happen because of my mistake?_

* * *

><p>A few dragging hours of searching did nothing to help in finding Kudo's location or cheering everyone up. Even Ai was beginning to get antsy: Kudo wouldn't run off on his own, not when it would worry everyone, not like this. He was in some sort of bind…and for some reason she couldn't shake the feeling that it was all her fault.<p>

Apparently her guilty conscience didn't weigh only on her mind but her face as well. Ayumi noticed and advanced towards her immediately. After they took a few steps away from the others of their group, Ayumi's pupils dropped to look at the ground, "Are you worried too, Ai-chan?"

"No. Kojima-kun was right, wasn't he? Edogawa-kun will be fine," somehow making Ayumi feel a bit more down, Ai tried to reword what she'd said, "I-Well, I suppose I'm a b-bit concerned."

"Really?" First raising her head to make eye contact, Ayumi then stared upwards. The sky was mostly consumed by leaves branching above, but a few spaces revealed dark clouds. Lastly, Ayumi's eyes landed on her watch. "I hope we can find Conan-kun soon. Before it gets dark…and before it rains."

Mouth open for a few seconds, Ai closed it when she curved her lips. "Don't worry. Even if gets dark, we won't have to worry."

Answering the unsaid question in Ayumi's eyes, she explained with a small anecdote, "As long as we can see at least one star by the time night falls, it'll be alright. The stars…they watch over us, like those who've passed on."

In a small wonder, Ayumi's green eyes shined, "You mean like…Benjiro?"

"Exactly. I'm sure Benjiro wouldn't want someone to end up having the same fate as him. I'm almost certain he'll watch out for Edogawa-kun." '_And…_' Ai continued on silently to herself within her head, '…_my sister as well. She wouldn't want to see him hurt._'

Obviously, this Ai wouldn't say out loud. Instead, she asked a question that had been eating her for a while. Nothing could explain her motives for asking Ayumi of all people, but there was just something that told her to do it. "How…How do you know what's right and wrong?"

Melting into a whisper near the end, it was no surprise that Ayumi didn't hear what Ai had said. Gathering her voice, she tried again, "How can you tell the difference between which decisions are right and which ones are wrong?"

Unintentionally, she went into a ramble, "People always '_judge_' how the affairs of the world should be carried out. However, depending on where you are, these laws-what's '_right_'-it changes. Sometimes it's drastically. This is proof enough: we don't have a clue what we're talking about when we say something is '_right_' or '_wrong_'. Yet…so many humans use that terminology, even on a daily basis. To define it, being right would be to speak facts. But a majority of what people-what _anyone_ says-is opinion. Opinion isn't necessarily wrong, but it's not right either.

"How can people claim to be right? How can they know that they're right? How do they determine this?"

Out of words, Ai fell into silence. Foolishly expecting some sort of answer, she twisted to look at Ayumi in confusion when the quiet carried on. Sure enough, she looked as if she was just as puzzled as Ai was. Realizing what she'd done, Ai began to walk back. "I-I'm sorry. That was just-Forget it."

"Wait!" grabbing onto her arm, effectively stopping her retreat, Ayumi was determined. She was a bit flushed after Ai faced her, but she went on strongly regardless, "I-You don't need to apologize. I-I think I know what you're asking. And, um, I think…

"W-Well, to tell what's right…you have to listen to your heart."

The advice was simple, but at the same time held much depth. It amazed Ai how much knowledge faded away once you left childhood. '_Out of the mouth of babes_' indeed.

Ayumi's answer had set her straight. Thanking her friend, she ran off towards Takagi. Her new choice lead her that way: she needed some specifics and the timid detective was the one she'd get them from. He almost seemed to know and agree with the fact, what with the face he made as she approached. With the silent mutual understanding, Ai didn't waste any time getting to her questions. "Who were those three that we met before?"

Though hesitant, he opened his notebook. "All three of them were related to the deceased Danno Benjiro. The man of the group was the father, Danno Botan, and his wife is Danno Kaya. Lastly there's Danno Aneko, the older sister of Benjiro and also the victim who died today: Danno Kumiko."

Used to the way Kudo made his way through these situations, Ai was about to ask about the relations between the family when Takagi, even more versed that she, automatically lapsed into the information, "Due to their weighing jobs, neither Botan-san nor Kaya-san could manage to spend much time with their children, so they would often associate with each other more than their parents. Despite not seeing each other, they were all on good terms. The kids were all a bit mischievous, but other than that they're well-behaved. It was only after the death of Benjiro-kun that Botan-san and Kaya-san began to work less in order to get close to their daughters.

"As for the particulars of Benjiro-kun's death, I would only be able to tell you as much as you already know," Takagi put away the compact book and glanced off to the side, "Before they overheard us talking about Conan-kun's disappearance, they didn't tell us anything about the incident. Though, by now Satou-san may have gotten some information out of them."

Blinking, Ai furrowed her brows. It wasn't that she didn't comprehend everything-THAT had been easy-what was perplexing her was that Takagi had barely been prompted at all. When she finally snagged an assumption, she smiled, "You're quite adjusted to spilling everything to Edogawa-kun, aren't you?"

Baffled himself for a second, Takagi eventually used a cough to get himself out of the awkward situation, "U-Uh, anyway, speaking of Edo-um, Conan-kun…"

Ai didn't bother to try and hear the end of Takagi's sentence as she ran off. She had a feeling they wouldn't find Kudo that soon, and even if they did she wasn't contributing much to the cause. Instead, she should focus on getting to the bottom of what had happened to Danno Kumiko.

There was something strange about the drowning, even if it wasn't murder. That strange thing could have been murder itself for all Ai knew, but a stirring instinct was against that. Around the waterfall, around Benjiro's grave…there was something off-kilter at the scene. Unfortunately, for the life of her, Ai couldn't pinpoint it.

…Which was why she needed more details. If she couldn't amount her suspicions to a clear deduction yet, she needed more evidence.

* * *

><p>"Geez! What were you thinking?" Hands on her hips, Satou bent down with an extremely irritated frown fitted on her face, "What if you had gotten lost too? I don't want to deal with two missing kids in one day!"<p>

Out of breath from running all the way, Ai couldn't even manage a "sorry"-not that she would've said one anyway. At that moment, a useless apology was the last thing on her mind. When she could handle them, her first words formed the first of many queries, "Wh-What…What were the circumstances behind Benjiro-kun's death?"

Not ready for the question, Satou didn't respond right away. This gave Ai more time to gather some air. Once she'd had a moment, she clarified, "Those three, the Dannos, you must've asked them by now…about the particulars surrounding Benjiro-kun's death."

Finally understanding, Satou squinted and bit her lip, "Well, we've more or less settled his sister's death as an accident at this point, so we didn't think that it was necessary to bring up old wounds. Especially considering the incident with Benjiro-kun happened a year ago yesterday."

"A year ago? …So, it was kind of like an anniversary," at Satou's responding nod, Ai then couldn't help but smirk, "It's a bit peculiar that you know that though, Satou-keiji, since I got the impression you didn't ask them anything about Benjiro-kun's death, and I didn't see any dates on his grave."

"O-Oh, um," caught, Satou sighed in defeat, "I-I suppose you could say I asked them _some_ questions."

"And?" Almost able to taste the lead in her mouth, Ai was insistent, "What did they say? Did you notice anything unusual?"

"Not particularly, no," during a pause of thought, Satou shook her head. After her hair stopped flicking about, she stared down at Ai with one eyebrow raised. "Why are you so curious anyway? As far as I've noticed, you're usually very quiet."

Sensing that she wouldn't get much further without a viable reason, Ai swallowed a bit a pride and lowered her head. "It's…We don't want the same thing to happen twice. I just-I want to be careful."

Satou became silent and the expression on her face was flat. Just as Ai thought that the female detective had become a dead-end, the older woman flung her head to the side and shouted, "Hey, officer! Radio Megure-keibu and tell him I want to meet with the su-the Danno family at the scene! …And Botan-san!" She pointed at the lone member of the family within her group.

"You're going to walk back with me," at the break in her sentence, Satou winked down at Ai, "and this girl."

Just as surprised as the timid father making his way over to them, Ai could've hugged her. She didn't, but if Botan hadn't been around, maybe she might've. As soon as he was close to them, Ai began, "How exactly did your son die?"

Interrupting Satou's minor scold on insensitivity, Botan waved his hand with a half-hearted smile, "No, it's alright. She's just curious, that's all."

Failing to notice Botan crouching down to be at her height in her awe that being a child really did have deducing advantages, Ai was slightly taken aback when Botan began with a sad curl to his lips, "It was just a year ago yesterday. Aneko had offered to take Kumiko and Benjiro camping in her time off of college. With how busy we always were, even in the summer, Kaya and I agreed. We thought they'd have a great time, especially in the cabin we own here.

"Of course, we had no idea what would happen at the time," he had a short, understandable bout of silence before going on, "According to Aneko, when she was preparing dinner, Kumiko and Benjiro had run off to play in the woods. She knew them well, so she didn't run after them. She knew that they'd come back when the food was ready. That was the type of kids they were.

"Kumiko did come back…but it wasn't for food.

"Patrol cars were there within the hour and not too much later they found his body," staring up at the sky, as if Benjiro's spirit was floating there, Botan finished on a monotonous note, "He drowned after hitting his head: just like Kumiko."

"Just like-?" Ai felt a pulse of déjà vu. So many times in his cases, Kudo had come across the same thing: a death in the past, avenged in the present with the same method. However, that would result to murder.

She couldn't explain it, but Ai held the same opinion as the police: Danno Kumiko's death had been an accident. That wasn't to say there wasn't something abnormal about it, but it certainly wasn't a murder. The real question was: what happened that wasn't normal?

For that, Ai would have to look at where Kumiko had last been standing alive. Luckily, she was already headed in that direction.

* * *

><p>In spite of any officers that had objected her action, Ai had made it to the exhibit by the toppled tombstone. If Kumiko had fallen and hit her head, she would've had to have been standing at some point near the grave. There were labelled footprints in close proximity, but there was one detail missing that Ai was glad to have caught.<p>

There wasn't a skid mark, or any mud for that matter. Around the site there was a flat stone plateau. If not covered with mud or a thick skin of water, it'd be difficult to slip. This begged the question: why did Kumiko fall? Regrettably, Ai was running out of the time needed to answer that question.

A slight tinge of orange was beginning to grab at the landscape. That wasn't a good sign: they hadn't made much leeway during the day and it was almost guaranteed they'd make just as much at night. Ai had to wrap matters up quickly before the stars began to shine. Despite what she told Ayumi, she doubted Kudo would do well on his own overnight, particularly so after already being isolated during the day.

Motivation resurged, Ai made a beeline for Aneko. Though related in the blood sense to the tragedy, Kaya wouldn't be all that informative, so Ai decided to omit her. Aneko, on the other hand, was the only one left alive who'd personally been there when the incident occurred. If anyone were to clear up exactly what it was that happened to Benjiro, it'd be his oldest sister.

With Satou and Botan out of hearing range, Ai didn't have to worry about being scolded or questioned. She let out the very same interrogation she had before with a minor change, "How exactly did your brother die?"

"Oh, you're that kid from before," supposedly not hearing the question, Aneko proved that theory wrong as she continued, "Listen, I know you're worried about your friend, but my brother's death has nothing to do with this."

Again taking a lesson from Kudo, Ai knew the way to deal with stubborn people was to keep trudging forward, "But what if the same thing hap-"

"It won't," confident in her answer, Aneko didn't even wait until the end of Ai's question to answer. Her reply was slightly suspect, however.

So, naturally, Ai had to question it. "How can you be so sure?"

"It's something only a grown-up would understand," gazing at the disturbed monument to her brother, Aneko's tone flattened, "Listen, could you just go back to your friends or something? I don't think the police-"

"This is no time to play," Ai quickly intervened. She was about to squeeze in another argument as to why she should get the information she wanted when Aneko ricocheted.

"Of course it's not! Don't play!" attracting much attention with her shout, Aneko uneasily lowered her volume, "Seriously, you could get in trouble or upset the evidence or something."

"That's right. I heard that your siblings were playing when it happened," completely ignoring Aneko's warning, Ai went on, "Do you possibly think that's why-"

"Look kid-"

"What if he's playing too?" Ai wouldn't let Aneko slip away. She was going to get the whole story out of her, that was final. "My friend, what if he's hiding around here somewhere? We couldn't find him if he were hidden."

"What's '_hiding_'? What's '_hidden_'?" Before Aneko could lash back, Genta wandered over with a look of intrigue. He gasped, "Is it _treasure_? Did you find some?"

"Genta-kun!" Approaching with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko waved his finger with a scowl on his face, "This is hardly the time to be fantasizing about gold and jewels!"

"How could you?" Hands trembling in a clasp before her, Ayumi was at the verge of tears, "With Conan-kun lost and probably hungry-maybe even _hurt_-you're thinking about _treasure_?"

At his friends' harsh tones, Genta apologized immediately. Ai couldn't help it: she smirked. He'd just got a better lecture than any parent could ever give. Out of focus, Ai narrowed her eyes when she looked back to Aneko.

That feat was insignificant, however, as they widened when she saw the taller woman in a daze. It seemed she was trying to get a handle on something. Recognizing the expression as a mirror of Kudo in the middle of deduction, Ai knew exactly what to do.

Turning to the Detective Boys, she said something they never would've expected. "Do you really think there are riches around here somewhere?"

As predicted, none of them knew what to make of her query, especially after they'd just finished beating on Genta for being inconsiderate. With Ai acting in the same fashion-perhaps even worse-they were absolutely bewildered. Glancing back at Aneko, Ai saw that she still needed a push.

So Ai gave a shove. "You don't suppose Edogawa-kun found the main hull…and is taking it all for himself, do you?"

Though Ayumi and Mitsuhiko's reactions didn't alter at all, Genta became aggravated, "Aw, that jerk! That's probably exactly what he's doing! Why else would he go out in the middle of the night like that? He probably found some secret entrance we never noticed on our hike!"

Noting Aneko's flinch at the words '_secret entrance_', Ai prodded further, "I wonder what kind of secret entrance he could find around here. This looks like a pretty ordinary forest to me."

"Oh…yeah," losing a bit of his vigour, Genta regained it when an idea came to his mind, "A-ha! He must've found some sort of hidden cavern around here, that's-"

"_That's it!_" At last exclaiming from behind them, Aneko began a (apparently natural in those situations) explanation, "A year ago, before they went out to explore the woods, I heard Benjiro-kun and Kumiko talking. I didn't hear everything, but they did say something about a hidden cavern."

"Maybe that's where Conan-kun is!" Simultaneously, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko's moods lightened considerably.

"O-Oh! You guys…you finally found a lead?" running over to them, Agasa was out of breath. Hands on his knees, he attracted many disappointed stares. Ai especially was discontent.

"Here I thought your diet was helping your shape, but," she shrugged, "I suppose I was wrong."

"H-Hey, what?" still huffing and puffing, Agasa only managed a full reply after a good minute, "I'll have you know…I just ran from our campsite."

Honestly surprising her, Ai was actually impressed for a few moments. She quickly lapsed into scepticism when a question occurred to her. "Why exactly were you at the campsite?"

"Well, first I had left the group to try and find _you_ when you ran off," he gave her an annoyed stare before continuing, "Eventually I…well, accidentally ended up at our campsite. While I was there, I decided to check something…to no avail, unfortunately."

Even though what he'd check hadn't turned out, Ai was still curious, "What exactly were you looking for?"

"His cell phone," sighing, Agasa shook his head, "It only occurred to me when I got to the tent. But when I phoned…I found out it was still there, on the ground." At the confused looks, he finished, "It had fallen out of his bag by the looks of it.

"Anyway, it's a good thing I heard that shout," he scratched his head during a nervous chuckle, "otherwise, I don't think I could've found my way back here."

"Huh, that's right," scaring them with how close she apparently was, Kaya apologized before concluding her thought, "I heard a shout this morning, too."

"_What?_" rushing over, Megure's teeth were clenched, "Why were not informed of this?"

"I-I thought you knew," likely a bit afraid because of Megure's reaction, Kaya was a bit hesitant, "It was the reason I phoned the police. There's a nice porch on our cabin that I watch the sun rise from. While I was there…I heard this echoing, chilling scream. Something about it just…called out to me."

'_Called out to_,' getting that pinching feeling in the back of her mind, possibly similar to what Aneko had been going through before, Ai placed her hand on her chin. An idea was forming in her mind.

When it came to fruition, she turned to Agasa. Beckoning him to bend down, she whispered, "When you found Kudo-kun's cell, did you search the tent a bit?"

He nodded. "Yes. I wanted to make sure there wasn't something important we might've missed."

"And did you find it?" Ai quietened even more, "Kudo-kun's cell?"

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Agasa's tone became raspy in his disbelief. "I already told you that I did!"

"No. I don't mean that. I mean Kudo Shinichi's cell phone."

Pupils shrinking, Agasa's eyes answered her question when he sent forth one of his own, "Y-You don't think he has it, do you?"

"It's worth a shot," pulling out her own phone, Ai gulped. This could be a godsend…or another dead end. She had to hope: after all, Kudo had taught her how to do so in the first place. In some way she had to repay him, and that day hadn't come yet. With a small prayer done, she dialled the number and placed the phone to her ear.

_Ring._

Understandable, not many pick up on the first ring.

_Ring._

The ID of the caller should've shown up.

_Ring._

Worry started to set in. His answering machine…

_Ring._

…was set to pick up after the fifth ring.

_Ring._

The click of answering sounded, but Ai knew with a low heart that it'd just play a pre-recorded message. She always hated those, so she might as well hang up. Her thumb hovered over to the END button on her phone and began to descend.

When it suddenly stopped. Something wasn't right. …Where was the answering machine?

Eyes rounding so quickly it stung, Ai whipped her arm up to place the phone at ear level. "_Hello?_"

At her distressed tone, everyone gathered. Right now she didn't care: she'd made it through to him. The proof was his voice.

"…H…Hai…bara…?"

Normally it should've been a huge relief to know he was alive, but he didn't sound like he was in good condition. It didn't even sound as if he could speak…or hold the phone up for that matter. Worry setting in with every second, Ai tried to think of what to do.

She stalled. "C-Can you hear me?"

Instantly, she chided herself, '_Smooth. Real. Smooth. He already answered you, of course he can_-'

On the other end, there was a tap. Confused, Ai stuttered, "W-Was that you?"

Another tap was her answer. Fortunately, it was all she needed: she knew what he was doing. One tap would be yes; two taps would be no. Finally on some sort of track, Ai calmed down and began to focus. "We've been looking for you for a while. Have you ever been able to see us or hear us?"

One tap: yes.

Glad that had been his answer, Ai went on with her next query, "Do you know…are we near you now?

She didn't expect much, but she couldn't risk them straying too far.

_Tap_.

"We…are?" Around her the hopes began to rise. However, Ai knew they still had a long way to go. Without him being able to shout to them or play hot and cold, it'd be difficult to find him. Not to mention the police had already combed the area during investigation: he _had_ to be hard to find. Complicatedness would also rise due to the fact she could only use yes or no questions.

'Perfect,' Ai thought sarcastically. Trying to think, she asked another question. This one was as dumb as her first, but in reality she was simply trying to stall. "Can you give us a hint of some kind?"

There was an odd sound on the other end, certainly not a tap. If Ai had to describe it, it was a sliding noise. Was he moving his phone? For what reason? Curious, she hushed the others and tried to listen.

Annoyingly enough, the waterfall was the only one who refused to shut up. Even when she took more and more steps away from it, the sound of rushing water wouldn't leave her. Once they were approaching the edge of the clearing and heading back into the woods, it hit her.

"The waterfall!"

There was a tap on the other end. _Yes_: he was near the waterfall. However, this just lead to more questions than answers. Specifically: how? How had avoided the police's radar that whole time when he was so close to their investigation?

"Th-That's amazing," from behind Ai, her attention was drawn to an awestruck Ayumi, "The waterfall…it's glowing!"

Obviously sceptic of such an outrageous claim, Ai turned to view the phenomena for herself. Sure enough, the waterfall had a minor radiance to it. Just then it all fell together.

Feeling a strange sensation in her gut, Ai set it to the side as she raised the phone to her ear again, "Edogawa-kun…are you…_behind_ the waterfall?"

There was a low mumble among the group that was cut without mercy by a shush from Ai. She couldn't miss this answer. In case she had, she repeated the question.

In response, there was a single tap.

"He is," barely audible in her amazement, Ai repeated it at a louder volume and added on the obvious, "He is, he's behind the waterfall!"

"B-Behind it?" Baffled by the revelation, Agasa sent forth the question everyone was thinking, "H-How are we going to get to him?"

For other waterfalls it might've been different, but this one was troublesome. In contrast to the flat platform of rock the grave had been situated on, the areas around the falling water was rough and extremely steep. The rushing water was also too fast and deep at the base to get anywhere near close to the base of the falls. However, this might be as close as they'd get, they had to try.

Focusing back on her phone, Ai anxiously asked, "Is the entrance…Can you get out of it?"

_Tap tap._

She thought as much. "What about one of us? Could we get inside?"

There was a pause, then: _tap tap._

The streak of luck and yes's had stopped, now a trail of no's were beginning. Grasping at the strings in her mind for some sort of solution, her eyes landed on Aneko. After an idea struck, she tried, "Did you find a secret cavern or something?"

_Tap_: thankfully, the no's had stopped.

But there was still one major problem: where? Where could he found a secret cavern? It was obviously hard to find, that's why it was a secret cavern. Trying her best to connect the dots, she guessed, "Is the entrance…near the river?"

After the negative response, Ai paused. She had another question, but she didn't want to ask it, not around everyone. Especially Ayumi.

Though with much reluctance, she began, "Is it…Is it close to where I might've…_lost_…" at the last second, she switched out the ending, "…my footing?"

While those around her were confused, she knew that Kudo would understand. Of course, even if he did understand, would it mean anything? That'd only be known from his answer. She waited.

When she was just about to conclude he'd fainted, he gave his answer. One tap.

Near where she lost her necklace: that's where the secret entrance to the cavern he was trapped in was. She should've thought of it earlier: he was an idiot, of course the place he'd disappear to would have to do with his idiocy. …Or perhaps it was more _her_ idiocy.

"A-Ai-chan," probably afraid she'd be shushed, Ayumi was very quiet when she asked, "Not to i-interrupt but…w-where exactly did you lose your footing?"

"Oh, it was just before we found the small river," though technically telling the truth, Ai avoided the topic, "Come on, we'd better hurry before it gets dark. It'd be hard to find the entrance at night."

It was true-as the many who agreed with her would vouch-however, that wouldn't be the most taxing thing in finding that secret opening. The worst thing would be finding where it was she lost her necklace. If she remembered, she wouldn't have told Kudo and none of this would've happened in the first place. She could only hope that revisiting the path would jog her memory.

* * *

><p>"H-Haibara-san," trying to catch his breath, a difficult feat while running and avoiding obstacles, Mitsuhiko asked, "A-Are we getting close?"<p>

"Y-Yes," Ai lied through her teeth, "It's just a bit more…this way."

She felt bad for lying to them all in such a way, but she couldn't do anything about it. If she didn't lie, they'd lose hope, something she couldn't allow to happen. Without hope, he life had been so empty, dark and shallow. No one else would feel that way, she'd vowed upon that.

…and yet there she was, sensing that hollow in her gut once more.

Desperate for something to think about, Ai brought the phone to her ear. The whole time she'd kept the connection with Kudo, just in case. She didn't know if he could manage to answer again. Right then, she didn't have any question, but she had to say something.

"You're an idiot." It was all she could think to say.

Though, she didn't expect the single tap in response. It actually got a laugh out of her.

However, that small chuckle instantly evaporated when there was a click…followed by words that were all too familiar: _The line you were calling has become unavailable. Please hang up and try again later._

His cell phone must've been open all day, it's no wonder it ran out of juice. She secretly wished that it hadn't been then, but rather before: it wouldn't have been as torturous. Ai knew it now: she had to hurry.

So far nothing along the path had reminded her of anything important. She remembered it, sure, but it didn't help towards finding her necklace-or that damn entryway. When she was going to break down and admit she didn't know what she was doing, there was a swish and a thud to the side.

"Takagi-kun, this is no time to be clumsy!"

"I-I'm sorry, Satou-san!" In the small unit looking for possible openings in the trees, Takagi had leaves sticking in his hair, "Th-There was a branch that swung out… I-It tripped me."

As an officer apologized with an "oops, my bad", the Detective Boys began a short chat. Ayumi began it, "That's reminds me what Mitsuhiko-kun did to Ai-chan."

"H-Hey!" Defending himself with his hands, Mitsuhiko pouted, "I-I didn't do it on purpose! How as I supposed to know it was going to bounce back like that?"

"Even so," Genta looked sly, "You still made it whip her. Real hard even."

Before Mitsuhiko could insist again it had been purely accident, Ai had began to run again. However, this time she was at full speed, despite her exhaustion. She couldn't waste any time: she had it.

The place where she'd lost her locket: like Kudo before her, she'd deduced where it had fallen off.

* * *

><p>Watch-light now leading her as the sun had set, Ai glanced around as she went at a slower pace. They were almost there: that damn branch that started it all. She could picture it: long, bent awkwardly and…one other thing.<p>

Unnaturally large for a whipping branch. That last detail, of course, only came back when she saw it before her.

Hope rose again within her. Signalling to everyone that she'd found the place, each and every one of them began to search. Lights were pointed downward everywhere. After everything, they were going to find him: they were going to find Kudo and they were going to bring him back to safety.

The only one not searching, Ai stood in thought. Around that area, where would their conceivably be a hidden entrance? Also supposedly one where a person could accidentally fall into it. Scanning the area, Ai stopped when something jutted out caught her eye.

Without wait, she headed over to it: an odd rock, not too far from the branch. At its base, as she shone her light down at it, there was flattened grass, parts of it broken. Something had brushed by with force. That, however, wasn't what caught her eye.

What caused her to nearly choke on her speechlessness was a hole that led steeply down into the earth. She'd found it.

Giving no word to anyone else, she hopped down. Careful to keep her slide under control, she barely heard the shouts of the others over the rocks that rolled down with her. She would've replied to them with an apology of some sort, but something caught her eye: blood.

"We're going to get some rope!" At the top of the hole, Satou yelled. The shout echoed. "Don't move from that spot, do you hear me?"

Though her answer should've been yes, as she heard her-and very well, in fact-there was only one response Ai could think of. However, even if it was a reply, she didn't say it loud enough for it to be heard.

"Like Hell."

* * *

><p>Legs practically melting, lugs feeling as if they were deflating, Ai continued on in pain. She hadn't stopped running since she'd gotten into the cavern, even after several stumbles. At that point, she didn't even care. Things had been worse in the Organization…and there she'd been hurt for no reason.<p>

Right then, she had a very strong reason to go on despite the burn in her muscles and the numbness in her mouth: hope. All day they'd been wandering around without a clue, and now she was so close. She could tell: the humidity increased and every now and again she could feel a drop of water: likely from the river above. It was only a matter of time before she'd reach where the waterfall was; where Kudo was.

Where she could see the shine on his glasses…reflected from the light she was now carrying in her mouth. It fell to the ground. Still illuminating his position in its place, she didn't bother to pick it up. She could've stepped on it, but that didn't matter.

Even in the dim light, as she approached she saw that he was really in bad shape. He was covered in cuts and bruises, the worst of which were centered on his legs. They tore through the fabric of his pants which were covered in dirt and grass stains. Most of the damage must've been when he fell down the secret entrance. His glasses were even cracked slightly…though she didn't note that as much as the fact that he was still in his pyjamas.

If not for the circumstances, she would've laughed.

Kneeling down beside him, she tried to shake him back into consciousness. She had a feeling it wouldn't work, mostly so because of how lightly she was shaking him. After a few more attempts at waking him up, she gave up and decided to wait.

The second she made her choice, her legs gave way and she crumpled to her knees. All that running had taken its toll…not that it mattered. She'd made it to him, she didn't need to run anymore. What she couldn't do was sleep, tempting as the lulling sound of water made it seem: she had to be able to call to the others who'd be coming. They still had to make it out after all.

Unable to do much else, Ai looked down at Kudo again. She hadn't noticed the first time, but in his left hand he still had his cell phone. As she'd suspected, the battery had run out. His right hand was balled into a fist. It wasn't odd, but she was surprised he still had the strength to keep his fingers in place. For instance, she hadn't gone through half of what he had and she was having trouble keeping her head up.

…But that was more likely to be the overwhelming guilt that was sneaking up on her. Everything that had happened to him-the bruises, cuts, his voice-it was all her fault. It wasn't even the accident of losing her necklace that caused it, it was her choice to keep the truth hidden away. She kept calling him the idiot, but that was hypocritical.

Brining her fist to her forehead, she growled, "I'm such an idiot…"

"…You shouldn't be so down…"

Surprised that she'd heard it even over the sound of the waterfall, Ai raised her head swiftly. When she did, she made eye-contact with Kudo. With a weak smile on his face, he rose his hand, seemingly with most of the strength he had left.

"…After all…"

Extending his right hand, he winked.

"…I found your locket."

Falling with the jewellery, but not into Ai's hands, Kudo's arm became limp. Horror consuming her, she instantly checked his pulse. It wasn't necessary, as he coughed, making her realize he'd just lapsed into unconsciousness again. Relieved, Ai stared down at her hand.

Though most of the light from her watch was blocked by her shadow, the edge of the locket glimmered. In it, she could almost see her reflection. She didn't need a mirror to know she had a sappy smile on her face.

"I suppose…we're both idiots."

* * *

><p>(Chapter 2: END)<p>

Phew! I actually wrote over half of this in one day! Can you believe it?

…Probably not: considering that'd logically mean I'd update more :'D But really, I did: I just had writer's block at the beginning then zoomed at the end. \o/

I'll try to update more…but no guarantees with school and life and such :C


	4. Expected

_**A/N:**_ Man, I've had such a block recently D: I blame school o3o

Whoa, a real long block ._. Uh, I'll just say this now, with how busy I've been if you're interested in this story, I highly recommend an alert because I can't be certain how much I'll update.

**Ninada -** I'm glad it was to your liking, but I like guesses just so you know D: Sure, at points it seems predictable, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad \o/ Like…it sometimes feels that I'm doing a good job at hinting (which I personally think I suck at) so when you guess closely, it rocks~ Though in the end it's your choice :3

**haibaraai4869 -** Thank you :3

**Part-time Dreamer - **You know, I never really thought of actually having Ai ask why he did that. :V But now that I think about it…hm, maybe that'd be interesting :B Sorry if you like cases: I say sorry because I suck at them xD' Anyway, thanks for understanding the long updates :'D Makes it a bit easier to cope with the guilt, ahaha OTL

**Enji86 -** Oh, your main language isn't English? D: I'm sorry then if the word choice is confusing, I'm just trying out different things. At the very least I hope it helps your English get better?

* * *

><p><em><span>Grey Shades of Love<span>_

Chapter 3: Expected

"Why when we do our darkest deeds do we tell? They burn in our brains, become a living hell" ~_ Secret _The Pierces

* * *

><p>Every police officer was concerned for Kudo's wellbeing and thought he should be driven to the nearest hospital but somehow Ai managed to suggest that he rest in the Danno's cabin for the rest of the night. His wounds, though many in number, weren't serious, and although it'd be in his best interests to be examined by a doctor, it was also a good idea to give him a bit of breathing time in a comfortable environment. Being jammed into the back of a car right after everything he'd gone through would just be cruel.<p>

Sitting in the dark with a blanket hugging her shoulders, Ai was silent as she listened to Kudo's breathing. It was slow and steady, but also raspy and littered with coughs. On a positive note, it was better than it had been previously, however, Ai was never one to be optimistic. In her cynical viewpoint, every intake of air that should've lifted her spirits instead tore at her conscience.

Another reminder of her guilt rested within her clasped fingers. Through the window, the waning light of the moon bounced off the metal of the locket when she looked at it. Despite her lack of belief in such a thing, Ai had to admit: the present was the embodiment of perfection. When the wave of happiness washed through her at the sight of the image hidden inside, a small amount of a different light poured through the glass from outside.

The sun was already rising - she'd been sitting by Kudo's side all night. At the realization of this, the hands of fatigue clawed at her eyes, along with her own. It was about time she turn in if she wanted to get any sleep at all…however, as long as Kudo was still unconscious she had a feeling she wouldn't sleep easy.

Almost as if he knew what she was thinking, Kudo turned in his sleep and let out an incoherent mumble. He babbled a few more times before anything comprehensible came out and even when Ai could understand what he was saying it still wasn't that intelligent.

"I'm hungry…"

It was odd: random as the comment was, it not only rang true (evident by the rumble of his stomach that followed the phrase) it also made Ai lapse back into her shame. Holding the necklace just under her neck, she scolded herself. '_He would've been able to eat if I hadn't lost this. He wouldn't have a fever if I hadn't told him about it. He wouldn't be injured if I hadn't lied to Ayumi._'

He wouldn't have…if I hadn't…

This pattern continued for a while until Ai couldn't take it anymore. Tightening her grip, she swung her arm into position above her head. She wanted to release her frustration and that could be accomplished by a forced meeting between the floor and the damn thing in her hand that started it all. Hesitant as it might wake Kudo, Ai clenched her teeth as she made her decision.

But Kudo's teeth followed, they however chattered. Breaking her angry stare at the noise, Ai glanced to the side with round eyes. Her blanket, no longer supported by both of her shoulders, began to slide off the side of her risen arm. Ai didn't register this, however, she only logged one thing: Kudo was cold.

It was understandable as he'd been near a waterfall in an isolated cave for almost a day. While recalling that, Ai almost smiled. The summary of the events really could only be described as stupid.

She had been stupid. She didn't pay attention while they had been adventuring. She lost a precious gift because of her lack of attention. She lied about the most miniscule problem. She got Kudo involved in something that could've been easily solved, which then caused him to catch her idiocy (though he already had plenty without her help).

Kudo had gone out of his way for the miniscule problem that wasn't even his. Kudo ventured off into the black of night armed only with a flashlight. Kudo fell down into a secret cavern. Kudo crawled his way down the cave eventually the waterfall, causing him to catch a cold in the damp environment.

Now that Ai thought further, he was lucky he didn't get pneumonia. In general he was lucky. If he were awake, she would've told him he was the personification of dumb luck.

Of course, it wasn't likely that he'd be waking up for another good hour or two. By then the others might be up as well, as it'd be the beginning of the morning. Squinting at the sky as it progressively lost its dark blue hue, Ai yawned. '_I really need to get to bed_.'

Looking to Kudo one last time, Ai smirked. '_He'd probably get mad at me if he found out I lost sleep because of him._

'…_Hypocrite_.'

* * *

><p>"Wow, Ai-chan, you look really tired."<p>

Ai had been expecting Ayumi's question since she'd gone to bed only a few hours earlier and yet she still wasn't quite ready to reply. "Y-Yeah, I… Well, we-"

"It was a rough night for all of us," coming to her rescue, Agasa happily ate another bite of the breakfast the Dannos had prepared. He could probably tell that Ai wasn't in the spirit to get on his back about dieting so he was taking advantage of the situation and digging in. Sneaky geezer.

Genta was holding back about as much as Agasa. Ai was surprised he could even manage to say a few words, let alone a sentence. "You can say that again!"

"Ugh. Genta-kun, don't talk with your mouth open like that!" Avoiding a few flying food projectiles launching from Genta's place at the table, Mitsuhiko tried to ignore the annoyance by starting a conversation, "Anyway, Haibara-san, how is Conan-kun doing?"

Ai swallowed the food she'd been chewing. She shouldn't have, as it would've given her a reason to stall. Now she just sat in an awkward silence before the answer came to her. "I haven't checked since last night. I wouldn't know."

The minor lie left a bad taste in her mouth, so she tried to wash it out with some orange juice. That didn't work too well: now she just had tangy-tasting guilt.

With a touch of concern in her voice, Ayumi mumbled, "Maybe we should check on him then. We were going to take him to the hospital today, right?"

"…Oh, I don't think that's really necessary." Scaring everyone at the table and almost upsetting the seconds Kaya had been carrying, Kudo appeared with a quiet grin upon his face. Part of the fright had come from the anonymity in his voice that came from it still being terribly raspy. In time to Ai turning to look at her food in shame, Kudo went on, "I'm alright, really. It's just some scratches and a little cold, that's all."

Full of worry, Ayumi frowned, "Are you sure, Conan-kun?" After a hollow cough from Kudo's direction, she added, "You sound horrible."

"That doesn't necessarily mean I _feel_ horrible," he replied. It seemed to cheer the kids up, but Ai knew that he was just putting on a front. That's the way he always was regarding his own health or safety: he wouldn't allow others to worry. If anything, he'd try to distract them. On cue with her thought, Kudo stated something that sent a chill through her, contrary to his words. "Anyway, how could I not feel well with how _warm_ I was last night?"

Sending a wave of confusion through the kids, Kudo cocked his own brow in puzzlement for a moment. It seemed he was going to say something, but Ai calmly interfered. "You shouldn't be standing. Weren't the worst of your injuries centered around your legs?"

This remark brought back some guilt, but Ai would rather have that than embarrassment. The way things had been headed, there was no doubt that a tint of red would've laced her cheeks once a certain event was established. If she could help it, she'd do everything in her power to keep that incident from coming to light. As such, the moment Kudo reacted to her previous comment by taking a seat, she stated, "After a whole day stuck in that cavern you wouldn't have had anything to eat, right? You should probably have some breakfast to get some nutrition to help your antibodies fight that cold."

Regaining a bit more of her own energy, Ai promptly stole the seconds that had just arrived for Agasa and slid it into position before Kudo. For a split second, Ai observed a glance of suspicion on his face. However, she was fortunate that an unexpected result of her action made its way through the Detective Boys, effectively distracting him. Before he could wrap his head around it, Kudo had five plates full of food ahead of him and offers flying in from his sides asking if he needed anything else. Flustered, Kudo politely turned down each sentiment with a crooked smile before beginning his battle with the mountain of calories and vitamins in front of him. The scene put a light-hearted smirk on Ai's face and though she hadn't made her way through her first helping, she also pushed it forward.

It wasn't much, but it helped her evaporate some of the guilt eating at her stomach. Until she'd gotten rid of it, she wouldn't be that hungry anyway.

Kudo, on the other hand, was consuming the food as one would normally expect from someone who hadn't ate the day before. Normally he wouldn't have allowed himself to show something that would reflect so openly how he was feeling, but he was just _that_ hungry. Thinking of it in that sense, Ai felt the turn in her gut once more.

Anxious to free herself from the dragging emotion, Ai excused herself from the table. When asked where she was going, she responded with "For a walk."

Immediately there was a cluster of worried remarks from the Detective Boys. She couldn't blame them after everything that had occurred the day before, but she desperately required some fresh air to help her clear her mind. It took a bit of persuasion, but after a few minutes she finally convinced them she'd be fine. After all, unlike someone, she'd have her detective badge with her in case anything happened.

* * *

><p>The rays of the sun were brimming with warmth and the breeze carried with it a touch of cold, combining into an almost perfect day. All across the hills in view the color green overwhelmed everything, with only a few lines of a shining blue swerving through the lush canvas. It was a calming sight to be sure but even the artistic talent of Mother Nature couldn't cheer Ai up.<p>

Even she didn't fully understand what was tugging at her. She'd recognized the guilt and shame, but there was something deeper that she couldn't identify. All she could do was hope that it'd dissipate in due time.

However, she highly doubted it'd just vanish. Something had to be done to subdue it. Apparently, someone else had an idea on how to accomplish that, though he really didn't purposefully know what he was doing.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Alarming her to the very core with his hoarse voice, Kudo was affixed with a toothy grin when she spun around to see him.

"Wh-What do you think you're _doing_ here? You're sick-_and_ injured!" Sounding more fretful than she would've liked, Ai simply swallowed some of her pride. She couldn't take back the words she'd already said.

Unaffected by her minor outburst, Kudo merely sauntered forward a few steps and sat down beside her. "Everything's been taken care of. I told Agasa-hakase to tell the kids I was resting. And really," pulling off a flex for show, he winked, "I'm fine."

"You say that," with a sly smirk, she teased, "but you know as well as I that that's only a cover up."

She had expected her comment to suppress his grin, but if anything it only broadened it. Matter-of-factly, he mumbled, "Now, it's funny that _you_ say _that_…especially when you ignored my question before."

Having not registered the query he'd set forth upon his arrival due to her initial surprise, Ai suggested he repeat it.

Without any qualms, he did, and he also added on. "It was you, wasn't it? …Speaking of _covers_, I mean."

Yet again, he'd done it; he'd seen through her act. That was something he seemed especially good at with anyone, not just her. However, experienced as he was, Ai wasn't about to let him have the satisfaction of a verbal confession. He'd just have to settle with only having a theory and not the solid evidence he so much cherished.

That wouldn't stop him from snooping around for it, though. "I don't know why you're so adamant in trying to hide your nice side. That was really thoughtful, you know, giving me another blank-"

"I-It was probably Ayumi-chan," instinctively interrupting, Ai rolled back her tongue back when the phrase left her mouth. She shouldn't have said that, but as she already had, she decided to continue with it, "A deed like that seems more suited to her, doesn't it?"

"It does," his agreement surprised her; his extension didn't, "but her look of confusion when I brought it up didn't suit her at all. Not to mention you were uncharacteristically flustered after that."

Unable to persist her innocence in the situation any further, Ai turned the conversation around to center on Kudo instead, "While that may be true, you sound as if I'm the only one to hide behind a façade. Both of us know that you're just as guilty as I am in that aspect."

"Yeah, well," his calm, collected air finally broke down to a mild humiliation, "If I kept the name Kudo Shinichi that wouldn't have-"

"Not that," in spite of being unaware of where she was headed, Ai intervened with clear intent. Feeling reminiscent of the conversation she'd had with Ayumi, Ai took her advice and followed her heart. "You say that I try to hide my '_nice side_' - and for the sake of argument, I won't disagree - however, what about _you_?"

For the first time in that conversation, Kudo was at a loss for words. Ai couldn't blame him: she hadn't been completely clear with what it was she was insinuating. Taking a moment to contemplate the right structure of words, she continued when she felt ready. "You don't understand my masked '_nice side_' - which is reasonable as you can't thoroughly know all of my motives - but the opposite also holds true. I cannot, with all of the brainpower behind a hidden fountain of youth, comprehend why _you_ tuck away _your_ innermost pain and depression."

Silent for a few more moments, Kudo eventually fell into a nervous smile, "Wh-What are you talking about? Depression-?"

"Yes." Empowered by Ayumi's advice, Ai wasn't about to stop short. "The two of us are going through a similar situation, so I'm well aware of the hardships involved. I've noticed it, too; when you've concealed your true emotions to put on a strong face. You can't deny that you've never felt any of the '_weak_' emotions, either. After all…

"You're only human. As such, you can't possibly avoid the darker side of the human mind; you can't avoid mistakes," looking over to him, Ai couldn't manage to read Kudo's expression. Somehow it was blank…but that only furthered her point. "Yet constantly on the outside you act on the contrary. How-Why is that?"

He didn't answer right away and Ai hadn't expected him to. She'd just asked him a deep question, it was only natural to take a few moments to consider what his response would be. Alternatively, he didn't have to reply at all and Ai almost felt that was the most likely option. Personally, in his shoes, she would've changed the topic and, although she wasn't him, he ended up doing the same thing.

…to a degree.

"Did I ever tell you about the Moonlight Sonata case?"

"The piece by Ludwig van Beethoven," suspecting that he wouldn't answer the question she'd posed, Ai tried to forget about it by lapsing into Kudo's new subject. Though she realized he likely already knew the facts, she couldn't help but force them out. It was her only method of moving the new discussion forward. "Said to be dedicated to his pupil, of which he had been in love with, despite a gap of twelve years separating them. A fitting piece for something as tragic as murder."

"Yes. Especially when three-" Kudo paused, his eyes focused ahead of him in a vacant stare. A small rustle alerted Ai that his hands had clasped around some grass where he was sitting. He revised his statement solemnly. "No, when _four_ people were killed."

There was something buried within Kudo's voice that Ai couldn't classify, despite knowing exactly what it was. She had felt the same emotions Kudo had at that moment before, maybe even at that very moment. Internally, she was highly curious about Kudo's hesitation in the number dead, but she knew that it wasn't the time to prod into that. Instead, she asked a broader question. "What was the motive?"

"To avenge the deaths of family members." Although it sounded just like any other average case, there was an air about Kudo that Ai didn't recognize. This case must've struck a personal chord in him for whatever reason.

Finding an innocent enough question, Ai sent it forth. "So how does Moonlight Sonata tie into it?"

"The father of the murderer had been a well-known pianist, Moonlight Sonata being his favourite song. Behind the scenes he'd also been involved in a drug trade scandal. When he'd decided to leave his darker days behind, the other three in the group killed him and his family by…burning down their house. As it burned, the father played Moonlight Sonata right until he died." Listing off the facts was easy enough, more so towards the details surrounding the deaths of the family members. However, Ai noticed that when information pertaining to the murderer came up, Kudo became reserved. "The murderer had been away in a hospital at the time, and was therefore spared."

"I see. So when he returned home only to find it in ashes, he was set on revenge." To Ai, it unravelled in a straightforward fashion. Being dragged to several crimes beforehand had taught her a thing or two on how motives worked out.

But Kudo wasn't finished. "No. The murderer didn't know about the drug ring at all. His family had died many years before I ever set foot there."

"Ah, then when he found out…" Ai trailed off before shaking her head. Revenge, loss, heartbreak…all of the dark prompts of the human mind, they were something to be feared. So many fell for unjust reasons.

Recalling the number killed in the case, Ai found an error. Without delay she brought it up. "Wait, you said that _four_ people died during this case. You mentioned the '_other three_' in the drug ring…was the father of the murderer counted as well?"

"No…and one could say there were really _two_ murderers in that case," perplexing Ai further, Kudo didn't help matters when he strayed from the topic momentarily. "You know, I'm sort of relieved."

Feeling that Kudo was reaching for a trigger to go on, Ai gave it to him. "Why is that?"

"You're one of the first - no, maybe even the _only_ person not to overestimate me. While it's…nice to be reliable and looked up to, sometimes it's quite the burden. But when you're at that high position, you can't just let that show or people will doubt your abilities. …Not that I can't handle challenges, but-" Possibly drifting away from his original purpose, Kudo shook his head. "Like you said, I'm just a human. There's no such thing as a perfect person…and I make mistakes."

Unsure of how to respond, Ai took a guess at random. "Was one of those mistakes letting the murderer of this Moonlight Sonata case get away?"

Kudo didn't say a single word. Instead, he lightly nodded his head.

His response, though not uttered, surprised Ai. She could understand it perfectly, that wasn't the problem. The problem lay in her imagination: she couldn't picture Kudo allowing a criminal to get away. However, she still only had part of the story.

More hesitant than Ai ever thought possible, Kudo lowered his head, his bangs and the shine of his glasses obscuring his eyes. Seemingly out of the blue, he muttered something. "A detective who corners someone with logic but let's them commit suicide…

"…is no different from a murderer."

For a few seconds, Ai didn't fully comprehend what he had said. Just as she was going to idiotically ask his purpose for saying such a thing, she recalled the last thing she'd said and connected the dots. "The murderer escaped…through death? Through suicide? And you…_let_ them?"

She hadn't meant to say it the way she had - it had almost sounded cruel, _accusing_ - but she couldn't help her pitch. In her disbelief at what she was hearing it had naturally adjusted to portray her uncertainty. At no point had she intended to imply she was chastising him.

Fortunately, Kudo took it lightly. "That's right. I…did try to stop him but he threw me out of the burning building through a window. I was going to head back inside, but Ran stopped me and then-then he began to play the piano as the building collapsed."

"Was it Moonlight Sonata that he played?" Ai guessed. "To go out like his father?"

This time Kudo shook his head. "No, he played a code. It had been used throughout the case and, in fact, by his father. His last message was… '_Thank you, Little Detective._'"

A long time passed in which the two of them said not a word. There was much that Ai wanted to say - to _ask_ - but for the life of her she couldn't think of how to word her thoughts in a way that wouldn't seem provoking. It was peculiar: there was a time in her life she wouldn't have dawdled at all and would've just said what was on her mind without regret. Now she was juggling around words, worried that they might simply _imply_ the wrong meaning. How odd it was that she could change so drastically. Fortunately, Kudo spoke again without requiring a prompt from Ai.

"I've never been able to forget that case. It's stayed with me the most, despite all of the cases that have happened since then." Glancing up at the clouds above, Kudo then swerved to look at her. His eyes were partly closed and his pupils wandered away from hers frequently. "Why do you think that is?"

Whether he had an answer in mind or not Ai couldn't say. However, even if he was expecting something specific, she couldn't have provided him with it unless she stumbled upon it using pure luck. All she could do was what she thought was right. Thinking out a minor amount of structure to avoid ploughing in completely unprepared, she took a breath before beginning. "Well, it's natural to accent the negatives in life over the positives. That case - and this is only an assumption, mind you - seems to be the only one in which the culprit has managed to commit suicide. I guess you can't forget it…because you won't _let_ yourself. You don't want the same thing to happen again, so instead of putting the past behind you, you carry it always, never allowing yourself to forget so history won't repeat itself.

"In short, I suppose, you feel guilty."

It was then that the strangest thing happened, something Ai couldn't have conjured up in a lifetime: Kudo began to laugh. At first it was restrained due to his raspy throat, but his hysterics grew so strong that eventually the husky sound had all but evaporated. Eventually in his fit, he fell on his back. He rolled in the grass for a few moments before he finally began to calm down.

Ai's expression, however, remained plastered on her face: a wide-eyed, almost frightened confusion. His reaction was so bizarre, she thought that'd she'd broken him somehow. In a mild hope, she stammered, "Wh-What's the matter with you? Did you hit your head before or something?"

"O-Oh no, I-" A few more giggles made their way in before he took some calming breaths and regained his normal air. "I was just…taken aback, that's all."

"Wh-Why is that?" A bit taken aback herself, Ai then pulled out one of her old glares. "Do you think I can't give creditable advice?"

"A-Ah! N-No, no! Not that at all!" Nervously waving his hands ahead of him in defence, Kudo slipped into a tense smile. "On the contrary. It's actually just the opposite that made me laugh."

"So you were laughing _because_ I gave good insight?" Leaning towards him with narrowed eyes, Ai physically felt every irritated fold of skin that formed her scowl. "What, was it so _shocking_ that I might be so understanding that you couldn't help but chortle?"

Shrinking back as she got closer, Kudo flapped his arms about more and more with increasing velocity. Once Ai finally backed off, he sighed in relief. She'd let him have his chance at redemption, but if it weren't satisfactory he'd be in for a nasty surprise in the future.

Walking on eggshells by that point, Kudo was reasonably anxious when he started. "To be honest, it's not so much you as what you said. Really I-I guess it'd be better to say I was laughing at my own stupidity."

It was a clever cover-up, but Ai still wasn't convinced. She had to hear more to be certain.

"You already know: that case happened quite a while back and…for all that time, that question I asked you has been on my mind. I've tried to come up with an answer so many times, but nothing seemed appropriate. Except," at this point, Kudo lost any apprehension he'd had before and he smiled sincerely, "just now - on an _assumption_ no less - you've solved the riddle that's been plaguing me all this time."

Jokingly, he stood and bowed. "I am not worthy, Detective Haibara."

"Easy does it, Detective Pushover," satisfied at his response, Ai beckoned for him to sit back down. Right at that moment, the light from the sun warmed her skin. Right at that moment, the bright scenery sent a chill through her. Right at that moment…

…she was happy.

Evidently, so was Kudo. "I enjoy this."

When Ai turned to look at him with a mild flush on her face, her eyes were met with empty air. It didn't take her long to figure out she should set her sights lower. As Kudo had his pupils aimed at the clouds, he exhaled happily. "Really, it's relaxing."

Coming to the belief that he was referring to laying the grass on that lovely day, Ai smirked, "Well, it's common on a day like this to fully appreciate the light touch of the grass as if it were a mattress." Falling back herself, she added, "Maybe even better."

"That's not what I mean," sitting up, Kudo peered down at her for a short while. Then, he went back to gazing at the sky. "I snuck out today for the sole purpose of hounding you about that blanket thing to try and cheer you up. Maybe even try to get you to admit you did something nice. Instead you turned the situation around and I was the one who ended up coming clean on an incident I'd been hiding away. To be honest, even though I was mostly just going along at the start…eventually I started to feel…free."

"Free…" Wondering if that were the word she should associate with her current emotion, Ai delved deeper to see if that were the case. "What do you mean?"

"It might be because my mom's an actress. It might even be because my dad writes fictional characters. But," in the middle of his sentence, he plopped back down on the grass, obscuring part of his face. Ai could only see his profile now. "for most of what I can remember, I've always been pretending. This whole '_Conan_' business just made me realize that more. It's almost come to the point where I feel more _real_ as Conan than I do as Shinichi.

"Even around Agasa-hakase or Hattori there's just something I've been hiding. Hell, when I've met Ran as my true self those few times there's always been something missing. It wasn't just after that day at Tropical Land, either, there's always been that…gap. But, right now," with a curve on his lips and an atmosphere more serene than she'd ever seen in him before, he finished with something she couldn't agree with more.

"I feel whole."

She had always thought of herself as cold and black, but if that were the case, at that moment Ai was being melted away with a powerful bleach. The complete satisfaction the conversation had yielded was unlike anything Ai had ever experienced before and, in a way, it felt as if that experience was exactly what she'd been looking for in the first place. A calm hopefulness, filled with content, something easily mistaken as love. She knew now, that wasn't what it was: it was trust. Trust built between two people in a strong friendship, no strings of "love" attached.

Kudo likely felt the same way, minus any thoughts relating to "love", of course. Both of them laid there, without a word, staring up at the clouds for a good, long while. For once, Ai even tried to play the infamous "find shapes in the clouds" game. It would turn out she wasn't very good at it. Eventually not caring one way or another, Ai was ultimately distracted by a light beeping that came from her pocket.

Sitting up and pulling out her detective badge, she smiled as she assured Ayumi that she was fine and that she would be back at the cabin within a few minutes. Raising to her feet, Ai took a few meagre steps. "Well, you heard her, we'd better-"

Only then had Ai rotated to see that Kudo had fallen asleep in the grass. She couldn't blame him, she could attest to how comfy it was, especially with the rays of the sun acting as a makeshift blanket. He was probably still exhausted from the ordeals he'd endured before, as well.

It was strange: though she would've felt a ping of guilt only an hour before, she didn't feel any different at that time when the thought came to her. Perhaps the soothing and surprisingly childlike image of Kudo snoozing away made her set it aside. However, though that knot was gone now, a new dilemma came to fill its place.

How were they going to get back to the cabin with him sleeping? Especially since he was, ironically, supposed to be sleeping in the cabin at that very moment? Ai was conflicted. The easiest option would've been to wake him but…

Knowing that eventually anything she did would devolve into him arousing from his sleep, Ai decided to just get it over with. Biting her lip, she turned with determination towards him. He rustled a bit, as if alerted of her movement. She almost retreated a step before remembering that waking him was the whole point. Circling to get to his side, she bent down. It was then she realized something: she had no idea how to wake him up. In the end, she just ended up staring at him in a daze at how her mind had possibly become so blank.

Unfortunately, this actually seemed to awaken him. Though drowsily blinking at first, his eyes eventually formed a slightly distressed stare. "What…are you doing?"

Quick to back off, Ai crossed her arms as she made something up. "I-I don't have a cover for you this time, so I was going to help you up instead for my '_nice act of the day_'. Y-Your injuries probably still sting a bit, right?"

"Um, I guess," though confused as he sat up, Kudo became sly when Ai extended her arm for him to grab. "Wait, you're admitting to the blanket thing?"

She turned her head away as she still waited for his grip. "Well, you came all this way. It'd almost be cruel not to."

Only then did he grab her hand for support, all the while humming, "Aw, how _sweet_ of you."

…Well, in reality he only got out "Aw, how _sweeTEH_!" as Ai promptly released him in exasperation causing him to fall back down. No guilt rang through her at this. Just satisfaction.

* * *

><p>Without delay upon their arrival back at the cabin, after Kudo had snuck back into his room to actually sleep (he really was beat), Ai set off to begin an ulterior motive she'd had for a long time that day. Though completely unnecessary, her heart felt it was the right thing to do. Since following it had lead to one of the greatest moments of Ai's life the first time, Ai felt it wouldn't hurt to try a second. Carefully, she arranged a meeting in private with the one who'd given her the advice in the first place: Ayumi.<p>

Back on the patio and with the others distracted playing a game in the front, Ai swiftly got to the point. With almost no warning whatsoever, she bowed down in a small shame and blurted, "I'm sorry. The truth is, what Edogawa-kun went through was my fault. He went looking for the locket you gave me. I…lost it earlier that day."

It had been surprisingly easy to confess her mistake, however, it was nigh impossible for Ai to lift her head. She couldn't bear to allow herself to see what kind of expression Ayumi had on her face. Whether it be sad or angry, she didn't want to know. She couldn't avoid it forever, she knew, and luckily Ayumi didn't force her to look up to gauge her reaction.

After a pause, Ayumi spoke. "You're silly, Ai-chan!"

Much like the laughing fit Kudo had broke into earlier, Ai didn't see Ayumi's relaxed - almost _happy_ - response coming at all. Appropriately, she reacted in the same way: with a wide-eyed stare and a stuttering voice. "Y-You're…not mad? …Or sad? D-Disappointed?"

"Of course not!" With a broad smile, Ayumi explained, "I can always get another locket, it's the picture that's important! And…as long as we're still friends, we can always get another picture, too. I'd rather have a thousand lockets lost than to lose you, or Conan-kun or Genta-kun or Mitsuhiko-kun…or anybody!"

Ayumi's words, though simple, were once again inspiring. Ai would've responded with a heartfelt thanks if the opening of a door hadn't interrupted them. Soon after followed a mumble. "What are you guys doing back here?"

"Oh, Conan-kun!" happy to see him as usual, Ayumi turned to Ai, "Ah, that's right! I forgot to thank you for what you told me before. You were right!"

Knowing about the same as Kudo in terms of what Ayumi was referring to, Ai felt it necessary to ask, "What do you mean? What did I tell you?"

"You know!" bumping her fists, Ayumi pointed to the sky. "That story of how the stars would protect Conan-kun. They did, didn't they?"

"What?" despite Ai being almost certain he was going to mock her, Kudo actually smiled. "I didn't know anyone else knew that tale." Then, he proceeded to confuse the both of them. "I love how logical it is."

Recalling her version as one that dealt with the spirits of the dead watching over others, Ai hardly felt that Kudo was on the same page. Curious of how his interpretation differed, Ai probed, "How have you heard it?"

Seemingly still incorrect in thinking they had the same account, Kudo rose his brow as he told his tale. "As long as there's at least one star in the sky, they'll watch over us."

Surprised at the almost exact same wording, Ai had to specifically inquire, "Where's the logic behind that?"

"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious?" at the two shaking heads, Kudo described it with a droning voice, "Come on. You know how it is: if you can see even one star at night - a tiny little light - the cloud cover obviously isn't that dense. So, even if there's a storm, it won't be too strong or last-what?"

During his explanation, Ai and Ayumi had both fit themselves with looks of disappointment. For once Kudo had almost sounded whimsical. Of course, Kudo was the only person who would go from an innocent anecdote about stars to the freaking weather forecast. Ai had to wonder what his small talk was like.

Before Kudo could get any replies from either of the girls, Agasa called from inside the cabin. It was time they got going home. Originally they were going to stop by the hospital, but Kudo had strongly persuaded them not to. He likely didn't enjoy visits there, considering one of them involved a scrape with death and a gun in his face courtesy of Ai.

That time had been surprisingly amusing. The look on his face when the roses came out was one she'd never forget.

* * *

><p>A few days passed by after the trip in which nothing of much interest had happened at all. They'd come back early enough to enjoy a few more days of vacation, two of which Kudo was dragged away for on a different vacation with his makeshift family and the rich girl Suzuki Sonoko. That had likely resulted in some sort of case, but until Ai could ask Kudo about the details, she didn't much care for it. She'd even been more alone than normal, Agasa working away in quiet on some new "revolutionizing" invention and the Detective Boys busy spending time with their families. It wasn't until the last day of the holiday that something finally happened.<p>

Coming in unexpectedly, Kudo was slightly out of breath. He didn't even reply to Ai's sarcastic greeting. All he said was "Where's Agasa-hakase?" the answer of which he didn't even seem interested in. Without so much as acknowledging Ai's presence, he sat down on the couch and pinched his forehead.

Peeking down over the top of the furniture, Ai guessed, "Did you have a rough time on vacation? An over-the-top case tire you out?"

"Surprisingly, no," sinking deeper into the couch, Kudo lapsed back into silence.

Reminded of cases (though also surprised at Kudo's answer), Ai couldn't help but mention the case from their trip. "I believe Agasa-hakase said that Megure-keibu officially declared the Danno case as an accident. I never did get to ask you what you thought about that case…though you were unaccounted for during most of it."

"That…" in a flat tone reminiscent of his speech on the Moonlight Sonata case, he announced, "That was indeed an accident."

"How do you know?" She was actually curious, but she added a tease, "Is it your detective instinct talking again?"

"No." Oddly serious, everything fell into place when he went on, "I happened to be behind the waterfall when the victim came by. I heard her talking to herself - near the grave, I suppose. Obviously I wanted some help so I tried to shout out. But…at that point my voice had become a bit hoarse and with the water…

"She misinterpreted it as her brother calling out to her. Before I knew what was happening, she was saying things like '_I didn't know you'd fall in the river_', '_I didn't think the rocks would be that slippery_', '_I didn't hear you fall in_'…then there was a thud and a splash."

Ai waited in silence for some form of response to come to her. Much of the atmosphere reminded her of their talk on the hill. It helped to calm her. "Do you…blame yourself?"

"…Do I?" asking it as an honest question, Kudo looked up at her. "I honestly don't know what to think."

Feeling as if Kudo were looking to her for the answer, she hesitated slightly. However, once again she found power in Ayumi's words and went with what she felt was '_right_'. "You couldn't have known what she was doing or who she was. You couldn't have even helped her if you had wanted to. Your intent wasn't ill in the first place either…so I don't believe you're to blame.

"…and accidents…_do_ happen…don't they?"

"They do," curling his lip only slightly, Kudo went back to staring ahead in silence. For a small duration, his hand came up to his forehead again as he went into deep thought. Then it fell down again, proceeding to do the same action once more after a few seconds.

Watching the display for a while, Ai eventually decided to spit out her assumption. "That's not what you really came to talk about, is it?"

"It's Ran." She had expected it, and on an earlier day it might've annoyed her, but that day Ai was ready and willing to listen. However, ready as she was, she wasn't quite prepared enough for what Kudo was going to say. "During our vacation, she chatted with Sonoko a lot about-well, my confession and in turn her response. So many times I had to run off because I thought she was going to phone but… To be honest, that would've been better than what she eventually decided. She doesn't want to answer me over the phone: she wants to say it to my face.

"She wants to see me in person before she confesses back."

Ai knew where this was headed and, although she was in no way against the idea of the two being in a relation anymore, she still had her qualms about him turning back. She felt persuasion coming on.

…and she wasn't sure she could resist it.

* * *

><p>(Chapter 3: END)<p>

FINALLY! D: So sorry this took so long. Again, might want to alert if you want to keep up D:

Also, I apologize if this is a bit less refined than other chapters. I've done a bit of reading over, but as I type this end note it's late and I'm already really behind on this release as is. I'll read it over tomorrow and fix any big things, but until then I hope you can enjoy regardless :'D

Here's hoping the next one won't take as long


End file.
